Closed in mid-March as a result of pandemic, the border publish between Tunisia and Libya as soon as once more allowed autos and pedestrians to go on Saturday. Flights between the 2 international locations will resume this Sunday. This opening is a breath of contemporary air for Tunisia, which has been hit arduous by a severe financial disaster.
as reported from Tunis, Michel Picard
From Tataouine to Medenine, from Zarzis to Ben Guerdane, the financial system of southern Tunisia is immediately linked to commerce with neighboring Libya. The casual financial system, the area’s principal exercise, collapsed within the final days of final winter, throwing hundreds of households into poverty.
Cigarettes, televisions, telephones, medicines, gasoline … the merchandise purchased in Libya normally flood the markets in southern Tunisia the place they’re bought for just a few additional dinars.
The removing of boundaries in Ras Jedir allows Tunisian fruit and greens to as soon as once more provide stalls in Libyan markets. An vital outlet for agricultural producers.
► Learn additionally: Tunisia: Mechichi makes a catastrophic stock of the financial state of affairs
The tourism sector, on its knees, additionally hopes to select up some spinoffs. In Tunis, unique inns are banks after the arrival of Libyan residents searching for medical care or on a enterprise journey when coastal services, greater than half of which have needed to shut, hope to fill, for instance, desperately empty books. the arrival of shoppers fleeing tensions.
Commerce between the 2 international locations, which might quantity to a few billion {dollars} this 12 months, has been vastly affected by the eight-month closure.
► Learn additionally: Covid-19: to date exemplary, Tunisia sinks into well being disaster
The border opening is accompanied by a really strict well being protocol, together with the presentation of a detrimental PCR check. A quarantine heart has been arrange in southern Tunisia.
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