Tunisia's government has proposed urgent measures to cut public sector pay in a bid to secure a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The measures, outlined in a government statement on the preparation of the state budget for 2023, include limiting job promotions, freezing vacant positions, and re-employing available human resources.
According to the statement, Tunisia's public sector pay expenditures reached a record 15.6 percent of the GDP in 2022, up from 10 percent in 2010, leading to a limited budget capacity for public investment.
The North African country is seeking a 4-billion-U.S. dollar loan from the IMF to avoid bankruptcy, and is required to implement deep reforms including freezing wages, cutting energy and food subsidies, and privatizing some state companies.
