Tunisian Officials Differ Over Urgency of Securing IMF Deal

Tunisia’s president and central bank chief appeared to diverge on the urgency of securing an IMF bailout, with the nation split over painful austerity measures necessary to secure a deal.

President Kais Saied and Marouane El Abassi, governor of the bank, met late Wednesday as Tunisia faces its worst economic crisis in a decade. Talks with the International Monetary Fund for a rescue package were paused in July, just before Tunisians voted on constitutional reforms that formalized Saied’s sweeping powers.