Will Tunisians soon be able to live a little better? An agreement to resupply the circuit of Tunisian non-state bakeries with flour has been reached, which constitutes the beginning of a solution to a shortage of low-cost bread which had worsened over the past two weeks, we learned on Sunday. from industry sources.
There are two circuits for the supply of bread: the first, made up of 3,737 stores, benefits from subsidized flour provided by the State, the second is that of “modern bakeries” (1,500 to 2,000 free businesses) which had been entitled for ten years and until the beginning of August, to a limited quota of this type of flour for which they paid three times as much.
Queues in front of semi-state bakeries
After a protest sit-in on August 7, which followed the adoption on August 1 of a decree depriving “modern bakeries” of subsidized flour to divert it to the semi-state network, they no longer received no flour or semolina from the State, which centralizes all supplies in Tunisia. In total, “90% of the 1,443 affiliates” of the group, employing nearly 20,000 employees had to close their doors, according to Salem Badri, which had made the queues even longer in front of the semi-state bakeries, which had become the only ones to sell bread.
“It was decided to resume the supply of unsubsidized bakeries with flour and semolina from August 19” after they committed “to respecting the laws relating to the production and sale of bread”, indicated the Ministry of Commerce.
The lack of cereals is felt
After this decision, the president of the group of modern bakeries of Sfax (center-east), Salem Badri, announced to AFP “the cancellation of a sit-in planned for Monday” in front of the Ministry of Commerce in Tunis. In addition, according to Salem Badri, from Monday, discussions will resume with the authorities to allow modern bakeries to resume the production of subsidized bread but on “the basis of the criteria set by President Kais Saied”.
According to various economists, more than speculation, the bread crisis is explained by a lack of cereals, and therefore of flour, because Tunisia, very indebted and short of cash, is unable to buy enough on the International market.