What if Enfidha were to be the solution?

African Manager

20-05-2025

The Tunisian media have only picked up on the latest document from the World Bank, which forecasts growth rates for Tunisia. But this periodic conjuncture report, entitled 'Better Connectivity for Growth', didn't just talk about that.
This 24-page document, which is not the product of the IMF, which Tunisian head of state Kais Saïed dismissively calls 'Ommek Sannafa', depicts the economic situation in Tunisia fairly and realistically.
Below are some key points from the latest WB report:
In a country that has fallen behind in terms of economic development, the report states that 'Tunisia's growing dependence on domestic sources to fill the external financing gap poses medium-term risks to currency and price stability'.
The World Bank considers that 'the increase in domestic financing of public debt has strengthened the connection between the banking sector and the government budget, potentially affecting the credit market'.
The Bretton Woods institution remains the only one helping Tunisia without imposing reforms, and finds that 'the budget continues to be under pressure as limited economic activity affects tax revenues', predicting that 'assuming drought conditions ease, we expect a moderate recovery in growth in 2025–27, but downside risks remain high'.
In true not 'Ommek Sannafa' style, Alexandre Arrobbio, the head of the World Bank's operations in Tunisia, confirmed that 'Tunisia continues to demonstrate resilience in a complex global and national context'. It is he who raises the issue of connectivity. 'Better connectivity, particularly through improved port logistics, can be a powerful engine for job creation and economic growth,' he says.
The port of Enfidha has been struggling since 2017
Arrobbio has also unearthed the issue that has plagued all the post-2011 transport ministers for years. Like his predecessors, the current minister, Rachid Amri, chaired a working session on March 12 2025 devoted to measures to speed up the Enfidha deepwater port project.
Long before that, in February 2023, former minister, Rabii Majidi, who was later dismissed, announced that the evaluation of the call for tenders for the deepwater port was imminent.
Five years ago, the former CEO of the Ports Office, Sami Battikh, told AfricanManager that four groups, the Chinese CHEC and Bouygues, had been shortlisted for the Enfidha deepwater port project. Since then, a company has been set up to manage the Enfidha deepwater port project. Its only function is to issue invitations to tender for various assignments, including updating the market survey and conducting technical, economic and financial studies, as well as preparing a call for tenders. The fate of its predecessors is unknown.
TOS and TTN had already failed to bring the administration and STAM under control
'As a relatively small open economy, the performance of the port sector is crucial to Tunisia's economy. Efficient ports offer the opportunity to capitalize on Tunisia's geographical location along the Gibraltar–Suez maritime axis, accounting for over a third of global container traffic', explain analysts at the World Bank.
Tunisia's ports are equipped for Ro-Ro units, but not for container handling. This affects connectivity, congestion, and the operational efficiency of containers.
'Tunisia's equipment and infrastructure constraints are compounded by the complexity of handling goods in ports, resulting in long waiting times for containers and high logistics and storage costs for businesses,' they point out.
It is also known as the 'white wolf' by Tunisian experts, who criticize the managers of STAM for monopolizing the port of Rades, the only one capable of handling container traffic, and delaying this opportunity, which could bring Tunisia 4–5% of its GDP and reduce dwell times within 3–4 years, with greater long-term gains.
One solution is to divert attention away from the need to restructure STAM (Société tunisienne d'acconage et de manutention) by installing and implementing a TOS (Terminal Operating System).
'However, the full achievement of this objective has been delayed, primarily due to the slow implementation of the Liasse Transport across all Tunisian ports, delays in the deployment of TOS, and the fact that key modules of the system remain non-operational due to outdated handling equipment and machinery.
Consequently, the expected productivity gains for STAM and the more efficient spatial organization of the Port of Rades have yet to materialize,' writes the WB, which supported the project.
Furthermore, the large-scale deployment of the TTN (Tunisie Trade Net, an essential component of the TOS) to all players in all ports has been considerably delayed due to managerial denial of digitalization.
Furthermore, economic operators are still required to submit paper documents to customs before declarations are allocated to inspectors. Furthermore, most of the technical control agencies involved in import inspections lack operational IT systems to manage their tasks and automate exchanges with entities connected to the TTN.
Tunisia's one-stop shop for digitized foreign trade has certainly lost its luster since the departure of Karim Gharbi, its 'creator'!
Enfidha is desperately seeking a port
All of the problems mentioned in the WB report have been evident since the Ben Ali era, when the country's leaders had already implemented a suitable solution, a deep-water port at Enfidha, well before other Mediterranean countries did so.
The project was intended to stimulate national development by linking western Tunisia to the maritime east via deepwater ports. However, since the revolution, it has been the subject of regional disputes, with some advocating for Bizerte and others for Sfax.
Years later, the only things that remain are profound differences over the port's priority and uncertainties over its financing.
We can't rule out the possibility of it ending up in the hands of the Chinese, who are currently buying up almost everything in Tunisia, including a cement factory!