Tunisian President Names a Judge as New Finance Minister

Alsharq Tribune- World News

The Tunisian president on Wednesday sacked Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri and named Michkat Khaldi, a judge, as new finance minister.

Khaldi took the oath before the president at Carthage Palace, the presidency said in a statement. Boughdiri has been in office since 2021

Boughdiri's dismissal comes as the country's public finances face a severe crisis that has led to shortages of key commodities including sugar, rice, coffee and cooking gas.

Khaldi, a judge has been since last year the head of the Criminal Reconciliation Committee, which was established by the president to try to reach a settlement with businessmen accused of corruption in exchange for returning funds to the state.

In an effort to mobilize resources this year, the government raised taxes on middle- and high-income earners and resorted to borrowing directly from the central bank worth $2.2 billion to pay urgent debts.