TERRITORIAL DYNAMICS IN TUNISIA: DO INCENTIVES ALLOW CONVERGENCE?

Dr. Bouzidi MERIAM 

Pr. Ghazouani KAMEL

Abstract

The basic goal of this paper is to review the role of the incentives granted for regional development in the territorial dynamics in Tunisia. In the 1960s, Tunisia opted for a planned economy model based largely on the State’s intervention. It opted for the model developed by François Perroux « development hub model or model of Centre/Periphery». The State has created centres in each economic region, a region is defined as a homogeneous geographical space: 6 poles have been created, some of which are present until today. These poles will then have to radiate over the rest of the space of each region.

With the stop or even «failure» of the socialist model in 1969, the State sought the help, at the beginning, by encouraging the local private sector to invest, then in 1972, and in the absence of local investors initially non-existent or weakened by the adoption of the cooperative system, Tunisia went to ask for the foreign investors who have responded quickly and are largely present today. The assistance of the private sector to the efforts of the State was directed to particular sectors or activities and for particular regions or territories. Therefore, the Tunisian Government, in accordance with the economic model adopted, continued to encourage the private sector to invest and create projects to contribute to regional development: Sectoral investment codes for the years of 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993 and 2016 and the creation of regional development offices, etc.

The question that arises is to see to what extent, incentives that cost the Tunisian State on average 2% of the GDP per year, contribute to the territorial dynamics in Tunisia? In other words, is it permissible to say that the incentives allow for the construction of territories or are the incentives channels for moving from a given territory to a built territory.

Keywords: Territorial dynamics, incentives, poverty, Moran index, GWR.

JEL classification : H5- R1- R58

Territorial dynamics in Tunisia: Do incentives allow convergence?