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TUNIS, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft announced on Wednesday that it will submit to the government a "national plan for the development of craft industries" for the next five Years with a budget of 50 million dinars (22 million U.S. dollars).
According to Salma Elloumi, Tunisian Minister of Tourism, the plan includes six measures, including exemption of debts for 35,000 artisans, the prohibition on importation of craft products and their marketing on the local market, as well as promotion of cottage industries in the south of the country.
"This national plan is basically aimed at craft activities of private sector, in addition to around 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises operating in this sector, and also 1,509 structured craft enterprises," said Ahmed Ghdoura, project manager of this plan.
About 30,000 job offers will be generated through this national plan to strengthen the craft industry sector.
According to Ghdoura, the plan will increase the contribution of this sector to Tunisian GDP from 5 percent in 2017 to 8 percent by 2021. Enditem
