Tunis: The National Observatory for the Defence of the Civil Character of the State and the Soumoud Coalition have denounced the approval of the agreement with the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) by the Parliamentary Committee for External Relations, International Cooperation and the Affairs of Tunisians Abroad and its submission to the plenary session.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday under the title “No to undermining of Tunisia’s sovereignty” on the 68th anniversary of the independence of Tunisia, the two NGOs affirm that this agreement constitutes a real threat to Tunisia’s sovereignty and call for its immediate cancellation.
They warned against the privileges outlined in the agreement, which “serve the interests of the Qatari fund at the expense of national interests”, such as the right to own land without prior authorisation from the Tunisian authorities, to employ foreigners and to transfer foreign currency abroad without any conditions or restrictions.
The Observatory and the Coalition re
called that this “colonialist agreement” was signed between the Ennahdha-led government and the Qatari fund on June 12, 2019, and was met with widespread opposition from civil society and a significant number of MPs.
The parliamentary committee for external relations, international cooperation and the affairs of Tunisians abroad, on March 18, adopted the organic law on the approval of an agreement between the Tunisian government and the Qatar Fund for Development to establish a fund office in Tunisia.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse