In September 2010 I was in Tunisia working with the
African Development Bank. Just 30 minutes after arriving, walking around the old
town I unwittingly ended up being given a guided tour. The young man had a
university degree, spoke 3 languages fluently and had the skills to trick me
into doing a tour while still seeming very nice. The next day, having a coffee
under a giant poster of Ben Ali in the suburb of Sidi Bou Said, I wondered with
my economics hat on about the untapped productivity, when talented workers are
employed fooling foreigners on the street.
Three months later Tunisia
was the birthplace of the Arab Spring. I don't have any evidence, but I'm sure
my tour guide was right in amongst those crowds. His frustration about the lack
of opportunities was typical of millions across the Arab world. Almost four
years on, Tunisia is the closest thing we have to a good news story. Open and credible elections are set to happen later in the
year, and both political stability and the economy are improving slowly.
The pace is slower than many Tunisians would hope for, with an emerging
terrorist threat a particular concern. Even so, compared to the rest of the
region, they must be happy to at least have the direction right. Simon Baptist/The Economist
Assinar:
Postar comentários (Atom)
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário