Dinar plunge plagues already battered economy

Tunisia’s economic crisis is increasingly evidenced by the local currency’s decline against the US dollar. The strengthening dollar is reflected in higher prices for most consumer goods, especially imports.

As a result, Tunisians are seeing reduced purchasing power and sharp inflation. Official figures say inflation reached 8% in August, the highest in three decades. “Even the price of salt has risen,” complains a Ministry of Agriculture employee.

Local Economist Abdul Salam Al-Harshi explained to A24 that up to forty percent of Tunisian debt is denominated in the American currency, automatically ballooning the cost to repay loans in both the private and public sectors.