By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
The President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, has dismissed the country’s Energy and Industry Minister, Fatma Chiboub, and designated the Housing Minister, Salah Zouari, to oversee the Energy Ministry for the time being.
According to a brief statement from the presidency, the minister has been dismissed however; the reason for the dismissal was not disclosed. Tunisia is pushing for energy reforms and making efforts to transition to renewable energy through a proposed legislation. This effort has triggered harsh criticism from unions and organized labour groups, faulting the provision in the proposed law for the installation of solar panels by foreign firms.
The UGTT trade union, an influential pressure group in the country, had criticized a provision in the bill, accusing the government of fostering Tunisia’s dependence on foreign countries, which mortgages its energy needs to foreigners in perpetuity. They also demanded a defined partnership between the state-owned energy company, STEG, and foreign energy firms.
It is suspected that the President’s decision to dismiss Fatma was based on the protests and demands by the unions, especially as a key Parliament discussion on the energy reforms is expected to come up soon.
