The Tunisian central bank said on Saturday that it had left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 8%, adding that borrowing costs were consistent with the inflation outlook.

This decision, taken at the meeting of its board of directors on Saturday, December 28, is part of a context of prudent management of public finances and inflation.

Foreign exchange reserves stabilized at 25.6 billion dinars (around 115 days of imports) as of December 26, 2024, although slightly lower than the 26.4 billion dinars of the previous year. This replenishment of reserves was supported by an increase in labour income and tourism revenues, despite a trade deficit and high spending on external debt

Inflation showed signs of slowing from 6.7% to 6.6% in November 2024, mainly due to a drop in core inflation, especially for olive oil. However, the anticipated rise in wages in the public and private sectors could slow this downward trend in the short term. Forecasts indicate that inflation is expected to gradually decrease to 6.2% in 2025, but at a slower pace than expected