TUNIS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's Prime Minister Youssef Chahed outlined his anti-corruption strategy, while questioned on Thursday by the deputies of the Assembly of People's Representatives (Parliament).
"The government will fight against corruption to the end and it will assume all its responsibilities," said Chahed in an exceptional plenary session.
According to him, the challenge is to "recover the trust between society and the population on the one hand and the State and its institutions on the other side."
The confidence, unfortunately affected by corruption, depends on "the dominance of justice and equity from which no one enjoys immunity and dares to be above the law," he stressed.
Chahed supported his government's use of exceptional measures to fight against corruption and terrorism "since we are aware that the radicalization of corruption, as in the case of terrorism, is imperative in exceptional decisions."
Since September 2016 and until June, this anti-corruption campaign has resulted in the dismantling of several smuggling networks across the country, with the seizure of various goods valued at around 1,000 million dinars (405 millions USD).
In addition, several businessmen were placed under house arrest while others' assets were confiscated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, worth about 700 million dinars (284 millions USD).
In this regard, the Tunisian Head of Government has indicated that the budget allocated to this commission has been increased this year by three million dinars (1.2 million USD).
Despite a wave of criticism, Chahed assured that all those who betrayed the Tunisian economy are not treated as political opponents.
"We have seized smuggled goods, large sums of money in foreign currencies besides customs offenses, tax evasion and money laundering."
Tunisia's PM explained to the lawmakers that his strategy against corruption was based on four fundamental axes namely a national plan to fight against corruption, the establishment of a specific legal platform conform to international standards, the administrative reforms, and social justice and the supremacy of the law.
