In Tunisia, a minister was dismissed amid a controversy over renewable energy

Tunisian Minister of Energy and Industry Fatma Thabet Chiboub was dismissed on Tuesday, April 28, on the instructions of President Kais Saied, on the day Parliament examined controversial bills that would allow concessions to be granted to foreign firms in renewable energy.

This dismissal, announced by the Presidency of the Republic in a statement devoid of explanation, comes after strong criticism from trade unionists and parliamentarians against five draft laws approved by the government, regulating the granting of concessions to foreign companies mainly for the installation of solar power plants.

According to these agreements, foreign groups will be able to use the electricity produced for a period of 20 years, renewable once for an additional 10 years, under a tax exemption scheme for the first five years. The energy will be sold to the state-owned electricity and gas company, STEG.

In its presentation of the projects, the government assured that they aimed to "strengthen (Tunisia's) energy independence, guarantee its energy supply and lower the costs of electricity production".

Tunisia has very few hydrocarbon resources and imports the majority of its needs, which puts a heavy strain on the annual state budget which subsidizes fuels, electricity and gas.

According to the Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Wael Chouchane, the share of renewable energies in electricity production reached 9% in April, with the objective remaining to reach 35% by 2030.

The government has announced investment projects totaling nearly €500 million for the installation of new photovoltaic power plants with a combined capacity of 600 megawatts, representing more than a quarter of the country's annual consumption. These projects target marginalized, low-growth but very sunny regions such as the central and southern parts of the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, the powerful UGTT trade union federation denounced draft laws that "perpetuate dependence (on foreign countries, editor's note) and weaken national sovereignty."

The union demanded "partnerships on a fair and equitable basis" between Steg and foreign groups.

MP Bilel El Mechri, who in recent days had denounced "energy colonization", welcomed the dismissal of the minister, demanding that she be "tried for having compromised national sovereignty".

Salah Eddine Zouari, Minister of Equipment and Housing, will serve as interim minister, according to the presidency.