Doing business in Tunesia

Tunisia is an interesting country and an interesting place to invest in. It is in North Africa but it is quite different from its neighbours. Lacking there oil wealth Tunisia has a very diversified economy. The country is also different culturally being much more European than African in nature. This all tends to make Tunisia a desirable place to do business.

Tunisia is a relatively small country in northern Africa who unlike its neighbors does not have large petroleum reserves. Despite this the country has one of the strongest economies in the region. The main reason for this is that unlike their neighbors who rely on oil Tunisia has a very diversified economy. The largest part of their economy is the manufacturing sector which is quite large. The year round good weather has also made Tunisia a major player in tourism and agriculture. The diversity of the Tunisian economy has allowed it to grow at a much faster rate than other countries in the region.

One of the reasons for Tunisia's success is that the government has instituted policies to encourage foreign companies to do business in Tunisia. It is a very easy country to start a business in with very few restrictions on foreign ownership. In addition there is a free trade agreement with the European Union that has helped to encourage trade and as a result has seen many European countries set up shop in Tunisia. Another advantage is that there is a relatively skilled work force that makes it possible to employ locals rather than having to import skilled workers from overseas.

Despite the success of Tunisia in encouraging foreign companies to set up shop there are some challenges that will need to be overcome if you are considering doing business in Tunisia. The biggest is that despite the best efforts of the government there is still a great deal of bureaucracy and getting anything approved is going to be a frustrating experience. A lot of times the decisions that bureaucrats make will seem odd and often differ from official policy. This is part of doing business in the region and something that you will need to be prepared for before you enter the market.

The other major challenge that you are going to face in doing business in Tunisia is the cultural difference. This is less pronounced than it would be in other countries in region since Tunisia is really more European than African in culture but it still exists. The big thing is to understand that things move slowly in Tunisia and it will take longer to get things done. There is no point in getting mad or frustrated when this happens, it won't speed anything up. Personal relationships are also more important in business so you will probably need to spend more time on this than you are used to.