Freshly baked bread at a Tunis bakery that was not subsidised by the government in March 2022. AFP
Freshly baked bread at a Tunis bakery that was not subsidised by the government in March 2022. AFP
Freshly baked bread at a Tunis bakery that was not subsidised by the government in March 2022. AFP
Freshly baked bread at a Tunis bakery that was not subsidised by the government in March 2022. AFP

Tunisia’s Saied accuses ‘known parties’ of provoking another bread shortage


Ghaya Ben Mbarek
  • English
  • Arabic

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday accused certain "known parties", which he did not identify, of provoking a bread shortage crisis in the country.

Mr Saied told officials, during a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture, that the bread shortage issue "must be resolved within the upcoming few hours", as he believed certain parties would take advantage of the situation to cause shortages of other basic goods, including petrol.

“The issue of bread shortage is completely unacceptable, and the lack of basic materials of all kinds is a red line,” he said in a video clip posted on the official Tunisian Presidency Facebook page.

“A number of circles and lobbies are seeking to fuel the situation, and their names are known."

Mr Saied also accused administration officials in the Tunisian public sector of serving their partisan interests and causing different crises to score political points.

“They want to inflame the situation but we will put an end to that," he said.

"If they think that they will escape accountability, they are mistaken."

Tunisia has been going through a renewed bread shortage since last week.

But Tunisians have been suffering for months from shortages of food including sugar, cooking oil, coffee, milk and butter.

Cereal-based products disappear more often because of the disruption to the global market from the conflict in Ukraine.

The shortages, which have affected subsidised products, are mainly caused by a crisis in public finances as the state tries to avert bankruptcy while negotiating a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

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Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

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Stage: early-stage startup 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Updated: May 22, 2023, 10:02 PM`