The committee in charge of the partnership pact to boost the competitiveness of the automotive and automotive equipment sector in Tunisia held its first meeting on Friday, as part of plans to double the sector's exports to TND 14 billion by 2027. The committee meeting was chaired by Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy Ahlem Béji Sayeb, in the presence of representatives of the relevant ministries and structures in the sector and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). This committee aims to relaunch the procedures arising from this pact, signed on July 6, 2022, and to contribute to improving the sector's business climate as part of the National Strategy for Industry and Innovation by 2035. Tunisia is considering increasing the value of investment in the automotive components sector to 22% of GDP in 2027, up from 12% in 2019. It is also seeking to attract large-scale investments in the automotive industry through a project to manufacture high-tech electric vehicles worth some pound 300 million. Tunisia also aspires to draw world-renowned investors to inject their capital into the manufacture of level I automotive components, with an investment of some pound 100 million, in addition to completing the establishment of centres of expertise and/or research and development centres, and creating 60,000 additional jobs. Tunisia further seeks to raise the national integration rate in the automotive industry from 38% to 48% by 2027, with the diversification of value chains and an increase in the management rate to 19% by 2027. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse