The 2027 budget bill raises presidential and justice spending amid a wage freeze

The figures of the draft state budget for 2027 sparked widespread controversy on Monday, November 2, 2026, at the Bardo Palace in Tunisia, after recording an increase in allocations by the presidency and the Ministry of Justice, coinciding with the freezing of increases in the wages of state employees and the imposition of new tax burdens. The relevant parliamentary committees of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People and the National Council of Authorities and Territories discussed these estimates in joint hearings on the Budget and Finance Bill.

During the sessions, government representatives submitted estimates of the budget of the Presidency of the Republic for 2027 worth 248.576 million dinars, an increase of almost 8% compared to 2026, where rental expenses take up 179 million dinars. The government proposed for the Ministry of Justice mission for the same year appropriations worth 1112 million dinars, an increase of about 8.43% compared to the 2026 budget of 1025.5 million dinars.

These estimates were linked to a previous path adopted by the government to control wage growth, restrict manoeuvres and freeze the expansion of general increases in state employees, according to the balancing trends of public finances set out in the development plan and the medium-term spending framework.

The discussion of budget projects is based on the provisions of the Basic Law on Budget No. 15 for 2019 and the requirements of the Constitution 2022, the Organization for the Preparation, Deposition and Control of Financial Laws between the Executive and Legislative Authorities.

The next step is to complete the joint hearings with the rest of the ministries, followed by the discussion of the chapters of the Finance Bill and voting on it in a joint public meeting of both Houses of Parliament before approval, seal and publication before the end of December 2026.