Impulso a la industria del textil y del vestido de Túnez (en)

The textile and clothing industry in Tunisia plays a critical role in the socio-economic development of the country as it accounts for more than 40% of industrial employment. The Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) Arancha González said this at the launch in Tunis on 3 October of a 1.7 million Swiss franc project to support the competitiveness of the value chain of Tunisia’s textile and clothing sector. This industry provides jobs for an estimated 200,000 workers, 75% of which are women.

Ms. González said support by the ITC, through funding by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Government of Switzerland, will improve the competitiveness of Tunisia’s textile and clothing sector by improving supply chain management and identifying opportunities to access international markets through value addition of products.

‘We will help to strengthen the value chain of the textile and clothing sector in Tunisia, and assist in diversifying its product range, consolidate its existing markets, as well as to develop new markets,’ said Ms. González. ‘This will help to increase employment opportunities for women and young people, particularly in the rural areas.’

The Executive Director said the project has been designed and developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Handicrafts, in alignment with Tunisia’s national development priorities to create employment. The first phase of the project beginning in October 2014, is scheduled for completion by March 2017. This will be followed by a second phase expected to be completed by September 2018 which will further build on the efforts toward product diversification and market penetration.