TUNIS: The African Development Bank said on Monday it had approved a $500 million loan to support Tunisia's interim government following the revolution that toppled its long-standing president early this year. The emergency funding will be released in a single tranche, and will be part of $1.4 billion of support for Tunisia provided by the World Bank, the European Union, and the French development agency, the AfDB said in a statement. It said the funding was intended to address regional disparities in access to public services, to boost job creation, and to improve government communication with the public. Priorities would include tackling youth unemployment, especially among recent graduates, and bridging the divide between wealthier coastal regions and poorer inland areas. Jacob Kolster, regional head of the AfDB for Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, said the investments "were essential for fair economic growth." The bank said it would work closely with the Tunisian government to ensure the program's objectives were met.
