Tunisia’s President fired Tuesday October 17 the country’s Minister of Economy Samir Saïed amid economic hardship that has gripped the North African country. Saied’s office said Finance Minister Sihem Nemsia will also double as caretaker of the ministry. President Saied has refused to subscribe to the IMF $1.9-billion loan and strings attached to it. Samir Saïed has been a proponent of the IMF loan. Saïed’s removal also comes nearly three months after the appointment of Ahmed Hachani as the country’s new Prime Minister in replacement of the country’s first female Premier Najla Bouden.
