Africa: ECA Supports Tunisia in Leveraging Expat Remittances for Productive Investment, Green Financing Mechanisms

What the report says

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is working with Tunisia on two priority financing areas under the country’s 2026-2030 Development Plan: using remittances from Tunisians abroad for productive investment and developing green financing tools, according to ECA economic affairs officer Samia Mansour Hamouda, as reported by Tunis Afrique Presse and distributed by AllAfrica.

The report says the discussion came as the 41st session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for North Africa opened in Rabat, Morocco, from November 3 to 5. On the remittance side, the aim is to channel savings sent home by Tunisian expatriates, especially those living in Europe, into investment projects that support regional development and higher-value economic activity. The ECA is working with Tunisia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning on the legal, institutional and financial arrangements needed to encourage this type of participation, including the possible creation of a fund for Tunisian expatriates.

The article says Tunisia’s remittances are a significant source of foreign inflows and have been rising each year. It also notes that the commission wants to help identify investment projects that are attractive and clearly defined for diaspora investors.

A second focus is green finance. The ECA and Tunisia are seeking the institutional and strategic groundwork, along with financial instruments, that could support a green bond issuance by 2028. More broadly, the initiative is meant to diversify Tunisia’s funding sources and strengthen its capacity to raise resources for sustainable development and priority public investment.