moroccanboy
September 21st, 2007, 03:18 PM
Foreign investment in Tunisia booming
Tunisia FDI rises 47% in year, Peugeot to transfer call center from France to Tunisia.
TUNIS - Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tunisia jumped 47 percent in the first eight months of the year, led by the fast-growing services sector, official data showed on Wednesday.
FDI grew to 921.2 million dinars for the January-to-August period versus 624 million dinars in the first eight months of 2006. Investment in services leaped to 146.6 million dinars from 26.1 million.
The North African country has attracted foreign investment in textiles, car assembly and food processing over the past three decades and is now targeting offshore services such as call centres.
Services are expected to account for half of gross domestic product by 2011, up from 45 percent now. About 40 call centres in Tunisia have already absorbed 5,000 job seekers.
Analysts said Tunisia is struggling to expand those new industries quickly enough to meet growing demand for jobs in the country of 10 million.
The official unemployment rate stands at 14.3 percent, with university graduates accounting for 60 percent of the jobless.
The value of manufacturing FDI inched up 1.7 percent to 178 million dinars in the eight-month period, while the energy sector drew 520 million dinars, up from 334 million.
Tunisia has forecast FDI of 1.3 billion dinars this year, up from 1.2 billion dinars in 2006, excluding privatisation income.
Peugeot to transfer call center from France to Tunisia
Tunisia's reputation as a hub for call centers was reinforced at the news that Peugeot, the French car maker, will shift its European call centre based in Lyon, France, to Tunisia and Portugal.
The company's French call center which is managed by 'Teleperformance' registered a decreasing number of calls over the years. Another reason that has justified Peugeot's decision to transfer it call centre to Tunisia is the less expensive labor costs and the fact that 'Teleperformance' is already successfully managing several other call centers in Tunisia. The company's workforce in the country has increased from 100 employees in 2001, to several thousands in 2007. The remarkable development of call centers in Tunisia was made possible not only by the existence of a qualified, less expensive labor- force in Tunisia, but also by a modern, competitive, telecommunication system.
Peugeot's Tunisian call center which will be operational in Spring 2008 will handle calls from France, which will constitute about 40% of the total number of calls, whereas Portuguese operators will make up the remaining incoming calls (60%) from European countries.
Tunisia FDI rises 47% in year, Peugeot to transfer call center from France to Tunisia.
TUNIS - Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tunisia jumped 47 percent in the first eight months of the year, led by the fast-growing services sector, official data showed on Wednesday.
FDI grew to 921.2 million dinars for the January-to-August period versus 624 million dinars in the first eight months of 2006. Investment in services leaped to 146.6 million dinars from 26.1 million.
The North African country has attracted foreign investment in textiles, car assembly and food processing over the past three decades and is now targeting offshore services such as call centres.
Services are expected to account for half of gross domestic product by 2011, up from 45 percent now. About 40 call centres in Tunisia have already absorbed 5,000 job seekers.
Analysts said Tunisia is struggling to expand those new industries quickly enough to meet growing demand for jobs in the country of 10 million.
The official unemployment rate stands at 14.3 percent, with university graduates accounting for 60 percent of the jobless.
The value of manufacturing FDI inched up 1.7 percent to 178 million dinars in the eight-month period, while the energy sector drew 520 million dinars, up from 334 million.
Tunisia has forecast FDI of 1.3 billion dinars this year, up from 1.2 billion dinars in 2006, excluding privatisation income.
Peugeot to transfer call center from France to Tunisia
Tunisia's reputation as a hub for call centers was reinforced at the news that Peugeot, the French car maker, will shift its European call centre based in Lyon, France, to Tunisia and Portugal.
The company's French call center which is managed by 'Teleperformance' registered a decreasing number of calls over the years. Another reason that has justified Peugeot's decision to transfer it call centre to Tunisia is the less expensive labor costs and the fact that 'Teleperformance' is already successfully managing several other call centers in Tunisia. The company's workforce in the country has increased from 100 employees in 2001, to several thousands in 2007. The remarkable development of call centers in Tunisia was made possible not only by the existence of a qualified, less expensive labor- force in Tunisia, but also by a modern, competitive, telecommunication system.
Peugeot's Tunisian call center which will be operational in Spring 2008 will handle calls from France, which will constitute about 40% of the total number of calls, whereas Portuguese operators will make up the remaining incoming calls (60%) from European countries.