São Paulo – Tunisia’s state-owned Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa (CPG) is planning to increase its phosphate sales by 55% to 4.5 million tons this year, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported. The country is working to boost exports of the product in a bid to drive up revenue and leverage its economy.
Since the 2011 revolution that ousted dictator Ben Ali, Tunisia’s been taking steps to regain stability. Progress has been made in many fronts, but economic challenges are still in place. Zawya
reported that phosphate exports were impacted by protracted protests in the main producing region in the city of Gafsa, where unemployed youths blocked out transportation to cry out for jobs. Local authorities said weaker production led to USD 1 billion less in revenue each year.
Tunisian news outlets said early into this month that Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa produced 1.26 million tons through the end of April, up 62% from 788,000 tons through April 2018. That amount still falls short of a 1.7-million-ton target. Pre-revolution, in 2010, the company had put out 8.1 million tons of phosphate.
A former purveyor of fertilizers to Brazil, Tunisia did not ship any product last year or to date in 2019, as per Brazilian Ministry of Economy numbers compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The latest sale, for USD 7.1 million, happened in 2017. Back in 2010, exports had amounted to USD 72.6 million.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
