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  • 15-02-23

    Tunisian president blames detainees for food shortages, price increases

    (MENAFN) Tunisia's President, Kais Saied, has accused those detained in the recent wave of arrests of being responsible for food shortages and price increases in the country, stating that they are seeking to fuel a social crisis. This marks Mr Saied's first official comments on the arrests since they took place over the weekend, with the police detaining several high-profile figures, including leading politicians, a powerful businessman, and the head of the country's main independent news outlet, who have links to the opposition or to critics of Mr Saied.

    In a video posted online, Mr Saied called on judges to take appropriate decisions against "the traitors who seek to fuel the social crisis" and vowed to "clean the country." However, he did not provide any details on which of the detained individuals he was referring to or how they were responsible for the crisis. Tunisians have been suffering from shortages of food items such as sugar, cooking oil, coffee, milk, and butter for months.

    While economic experts attribute these shortages to a crisis in public finances as the state tries to avoid bankruptcy while negotiating an international bailout, Mr Saied blames those who have been arrested. He stated that these individuals are involved in conspiring against the internal and external security of the state and are responsible for the crises by distributing food items and raising their prices. However, his statement did not sit well with many Tunisians, who are already frustrated by the shortages and the government's handling of the economy.

    The current subsidy system in Tunisia is considered a failure and very costly for public finances. Therefore, the Tunisian government has begun implementing subsidy reductions, which, according to economists, may increase supply, but their positive impact is slow to emerge. Meanwhile, shortages have persisted, and public anger shows no sign of abating.

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