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Oil and gas policies in Tunisia: a macroeconomic analysis. World Bank staff working paper

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5704349
The sustained economic growth that Tunisia enjoyed in the last decade is likely to be restrained in the 1980s by several factors related to its oil and gas resources. First, with no new major hydrocarbon discovery in sight and with rapidly increasing domestic consumption, the country will cease to be a net oil exporter by the end of the decade. Second, prospects for further substantial gains in the terms of trade due to oil price increase cannot be anticipated. This paper quantifies the impact of these two factors on the Tunisian economy and examines the macroeconomic implications of various policies in the oil and gas sector. The economywide impact is studied by the use of a macroeconomic model constructed on the basis of the specific structure of the Tunisian hydrocarbon sector and its linkages to the balance of payments and the budget. Based on a scenario of anticipated policy and development, it was found that a continuation of past trends in energy consumption would lead to large Government budget and balance of payments deficits. The paper examines other oil and gas policies to reverse this trend, including pricing, energy conservation, acceleration of exploration and development, as well as the development of large projects.
Research Organization:
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Washington, DC (USA)
OSTI ID:
5704349
Report Number(s):
PB-85-175404/XAB; WP-674
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English