(TAP) - A cabinet meeting adopted a draft law, on Friday, amending law N°102 for the year 2005, concerning transporting Algerian natural gas through Tunisia. The royalty imposed on the quantities transported were set in favour of Tunisia.

The cabinet meeting also adopted a draft law on the approval of the agreement relating to the management of the gas pipeline crossing Tunisia, said a statement issued by the Prime Ministry.

The government is working to issue taxes on the exploitation of the pipeline crossing Tunisia and estimated at around 515 MD in 2019, against 289 MD in 2010, according to data on the state budget of the year 2019.

The pipeline through Tunisia connects natural gas production sites in Algeria and Italy, and is used to import Algerian natural gas to Europe. It is part of an agreement between Italy, Algeria and Tunisia, knowing that Tunisia has developed a road map, since 2017, to extend the deadline of the agreement with Italy.

Two other organic laws were adopted; the first concerns the approval of the agreement between Tunisia and France to establish an office for the French Agency for International Technical Expertise (AFETI) in Tunisia, and the second with the United States to improve the compliance of Foreign Account TAX Compliance Act or “FATCA”.