The balance of opinion of Tunisian industrial business leaders on investment trends in the second half of 2023 has decreased, while their views on the evolution of investments in the first half of 2023 remained stable. This is the finding of the bi-annual investment survey published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The survey, which was conducted in May 2023, targeted 1,000 companies specialising in the manufacturing sector. The INS analysis showed that the balance of opinion regarding investment trends in the industrial sector remains below the levels recorded in the years 2002-2019. The balance of opinion regarding the overall investment trend in the first half of 2023 was around 16%, compared to 15% in the second half of 2022. In the textile-clothing and leather industries, it has shown a positive trend in terms of investment, rising from 10% in the 2nd half of 2022 to 22% in the 1st half of 2023. Business leaders believe that the chemical industry has improved, rising from 16% during H2 of 2022 to 20% during H1 of 2023, while the opinion balance in the construction, ceramics and glass sector has improved, reaching 16%. In various sectors, the opinion balance of investors decreased in the first half of 2023, from 32% in H2 of 2022 to 3% in H1 of 2023. According to the same source, the opinion balance remains stable in the agro-food and mechanical-electrical sectors. The survey results for the second half of 2023 show a decrease in the balance of opinions of companies regarding the expected development of investments in H2 of 2023, from 13% in H1 of 2023 to 9%. A decrease to 5% in the positive opinion balance regarding the investment development in H2 of 2023 is observed in the construction materials, ceramics and glass sector. As for the chemical industry, the positive opinion rate decreased from 22% to 0%, as well as the mechanical and electrical industry, which decreased from 41% to 21%. Investors in the textile and clothing sector are more optimistic about the development of investments in the second half of 2023, with a balance of 18% against 14%. Similarly, investors in the agri-food sector expect growth of 6%, compared to a negative balance of 10%. The semi-annual investment survey aims to assess the current investment trends in the industrial sector during H1 of 2023, preceding the survey and assessment of the investment development prospects during H2 of 2023, as predicted by industry professionals.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse