Maltese businesses making headway in Tunisia

Organised by Malta Enterprise in collaboration with the Embassy of Malta in Tunisia, the business delegation is the second one to visit Tunisia this year after the uprisings that radically changed the business environment in the
country as the Arab Spring swept through North Africa.

While some of the participating companies are looking at opportunities in the Tunisian market for the first time, some others had already participated in the delegation organised in June - when eleven companies had taken part.
Since then, the companies have established good leads they are now following up. In some cases, the companies have even managed to establish a presence in the country and are now trying to strengthening their position within
the market with meetings with more Tunisian companies.

Around 170 meetings have been pre-arranged for the local businesses by Malta Enterprise and the Embassy of Malta in Tunisia together with the Centre de Promotion des Exportations de la Tunisie (CEPEX), the Foreign Investment
Promotion Agency (FIPA) in Tunis and the Union Tunisienne de l'Industrie, du Commerce et de l'Artisanat (UTICA).

The meetings, which average out at seven meetings per company, will be held at the CEPEX offices, where Malta Enterprise representatives will also be providing details about Malta's business environment and promote Malta as
an ideal location for trade and investment.

Companies participating in the business delegation operate in a wide variety of sectors, such as construction including engineering services and architecture, renewable energy, manufacturing and related services, ICT, maritime,
and tourism services, amongst others.

While in Tunis, the companies will also have the opportunity to visit the Med Tunis Franchise Fair, a specialised event that is seeking to attract foreign companies wishing to set up franchise operations in Tunisia and benefit
from the opportunities available whilst helping the Tunisian economy in its growth at this delicate conjuncture.

The business delegation forms part of the initiatives outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Malta Enterprise and CEPEX earlier this year, which also states that a Tunisian delegation is to visit Malta in the
coming year.

The setting up of a Malta-Tunisia Business Council shall also contribute towards the strengthening of the commercial relationship between the two countries.