(TAP) - The textile contract to be signed in the near future, in the context of competitive contracts between the State and the different sectors, will allow the creation of about 50 thousand additional jobs by 2023, announced Prime Minister Youssef Chahed.

Chairing on Sunday the opening ceremony of the annual congress of the Tunisian Federation of Textile and Clothing, under the sign "Textile Clothing Industry: Responsibility, Strategy and Development", Chahed said that the goal of the government and stakeholders in the textile and apparel sector is to reposition Tunisia’s exports by 2023, with a share of Tunisian exports to the European market of 4%.

The aim is also to boost the value of Tunisia’s exports to € 20 billion (about 13.770 billion dinars) by 2023 and to be among the top five textile exporters to the European Union (EU).

He also stated that the State has committed, under the competitive contracts programme between the State and the different sectors, to initiate measures, while the private sector will commit to achieve a number of objectives in terms of investment, export, employment and creation.

Chahed pointed out that the year 2018 saw the revival of the textile sector with an increase in Tunisia’s exports to the EU, reaching € 2.4 billion (about 8 billion dinars), i.e. a growth of 3.8%, compared to 2017.

The Prime Minister added that the upturn in 2018 and the reduction of the deficit will have to contribute to the development of an economic policy focused on scrutinizing the strengths and weaknesses during the last 60 years.

He stressed, in this vein, the need to draft a new version of Law 72 for the 21st century, which will promote a radical and positive transformation of the economy, while matching the new economic phase.

Law 72 was the most important economic measure in the last 50 years that had helped develop the textile sector, he recalled.

Chahed called on Tunisian and foreign businessmen attending the congress to increase investment and exports in the sector, adding that the state is committed to ensuring a conducive business climate