On Monday 24 June, the European Commission announced that it had approved the disbursement of €100 million in macro-financial assistance for Jordan and €150 million for Tunisia.
These funds are made available in the form of long-term loans at low interest rates.
For Jordan, this is the second and final tranche of the second macro-financial assistance (MFA) programme, which amounts to €200 million. The objective of the programme is to help Amman meet its financing needs and support the implementation of its structural reform programme, at a time when the country is hosting more than a million Syrian refugees.
In order to benefit from this second disbursement, Jordan needed to take measures to strengthen debt sustainability, improve the independence of external audits in the public sector, increase transparency in public procurement, broaden the tax base and increase the progressiveness of taxation. The country also needed to strengthen social safety nets, increase employment opportunities for Syrians in Jordan and strengthen the financial sustainability of the water sector.
For Tunisia, the Commission has authorised the disbursement of the second of the three planned instalments under the second macro-financial assistance programme. This programme has a budget of €500 million.
To benefit from this second tranche, Tunisia has honoured the commitments agreed with the Union, in particular a reform of public financial management, the strengthening of social safety nets and the improvement of the business climate. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)