For the first time since joining the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1958, Tunisia is featuring on the list of member countries with delays in completion of Article IV consultations or mandatory financial stability assessments over 18 months. Published on January 5, this list also includes Venezuela, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Belarus, Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Haiti, Myanmar and Russia. Tunisian experts think this is a purely administrative procedure which does not involve Tunisia alone but targets many other countries. Others said this will complicate Tunisia's access to external financing. The difficulty to access financing does not only include borrowing on the monetary market but also access to funding under bilateral agreements, other experts said, as several countries make the disbursement of their aid to Tunisia conditional on reaching an agreement with the IMF. Tunisia is planning under the 2024 budget to mobilise loans totalling TND 28.4 billion, of which TND 16.4 billion are expected to be ob tained through foreign borrowing. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse