The finance minister stresses the need to govern resources and control budget deficits

On 29 October 2026, Minister of Finance Mushata Salama Khaledi presented the details of the implementation of the state budget for 2026 and the draft budget for 2027 to the Finance and Budget Committees of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People and the National Council of Regions. During the financial balance sheet review, the Minister stressed that the current pressures require careful governance of public resources and budget deficit control.

Official data revealed a 13.1% increase in imports versus an 8.6% growth in exports, along with an energy trade deficit of 10,480 million dinars accounting for half of the total trade deficit. The revenue generated by the budget till late September 2026 amounted to about 37 thousand 69 million dinars, an increase of 3.1% compared to the same period last year.

The 2027 budget project estimated rental expenses at about 27 thousand 349 million dinars, equivalent to 13.2% of GDP, with a programming of 32 thousand 557 manoeuvres and settlement plans. In contrast, the government has not yet announced details of the specific sources of external financing it will adopt to cover the existing funding gap between the inputs and the proposed expenditures.

These joint sessions are part of the constitutional legal framework and the Basic Budget Law for discussing financial projects across both Houses of Parliament. Minister of Finance Muscat Salamah Khaledhi was appointed by a decision of the President of the Republic Kais Saied on 5 February 2025, having chaired the Criminal Justice Committee and served as a third-level justice judge.

Parliamentary committees are expected to complete the discussions of the chapters of the Finance Bill during the coming period, before it can be voted on in a joint general meeting and approved before the end of the constitutional term.