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Introduction |
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The Governorate of Gafsa is located in South-Western Tunisia, between the high steppes and the Sahara. Surrounded by five governorates and located at the centre of three economic regions, the town of Gafsa, one of Tunisia’s oldest cities, is a link between the country of cereals and the country of palm dates. The region is known essentially for its mining industry, with phosphate as the main product. |
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Human resources |
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The total population of the governorate of Gafsa is 329,800 (July 2007), with a high urbanization rate (73.8%) and a population density of 42.1 inhabitants/km2. The active labor force is mainly is employed in agriculture and fishing (12.5 %), industries (8.8 %), public works and construction (14.9 %), mining and energy (9.8 %), services (26.8 %) and the civil service (26,7%). |
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Gafsa’s university complex ranks third among southern governorates, after those of Sfax and Gabès, with 8 higher education institutions accommodating close on more than 12,600 students enrolled in science, economics, arts, technology and computer engineering:
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This governorate has 2 public and 14 private vocational training centers, with a capacity of 4,380 students, offering a variety of courses in computer science, industrial electronics, commerce, precision mechanics, electricity and handicrafts.
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Infrastructure |
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The Gafsa Governorate has a fairly modern basic infrastructure:
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a road network making of Gafsa a major crossroads linking it to many towns within Tunisia as well as in other North African countries. Gafsa is 90 km away from Tozeur, 350 km Tunis, 210 km from Sfax and 140 km from Algeria, |
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a railway network of 388 km carrying passengers, equipment and goods. This network links Gafsa to Tunis via Gabès and Sfax, |
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the Gafsa-Ksar international airport, with a passenger capacity of 200,000 per year, |
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a modern telecommunications network, |
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developed industrial estates, |
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a remote work center, |
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a Tunisian radio house. | |
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Major business activities |
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The phosphate as its main wealth. This substance is extracted by the Gafsa Phosphate Company (Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa ) which plays a pioneering role in the development of its community by creating small and medium-sized businesses with financial assistance from the Fonds de Reconversion des Centres Miniers (Conversion Fund for Mining Districts). This company employs 6,000 people. |
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Gafsa has 49 industrial enterprises (providing 10 jobs or more) of which 3 work wholly for export. In addition, there are 2 firms with foreign equity holdings (providing 10 jobs or more), operating in manufacturing industries.
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The abundance of water resources in the region (128.4 million m3: 2 324 shallow wells and 284 forages), has fostered the development of the agricultural sector mainly based on arboriculture. Indeed, it boast 106,377 hectares of fruit trees (olive, almond and pistachio), 14,881 ha of irrigated land and a livestock population of some 350,000 head of sheep, cattle, goats and camels. | |
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Investment opportunities |
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The region offers various investment opportunities, in different sectors
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Agriculture
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Industry
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Useful addresses |
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ODS
Authority for the Development of the South
(Office du Développement du Sud)
Immeuble- Ettanmia 4119 Medenine
Tel : (216) 75 640 363
Fax : (216) 75 641 747
E-mail : odsud@mdci.gov.tn
Web: www.ods.nat.tn
(DRD) Gafsa
Office for Regional Development
(Direction Régionale de Développement)
Siège de Gouvernorat 2100 Gafsa
Tel : (216) 76 220 411
E-mail : drd.gafsa@mdci.gov.tn
Office for Regional Development
(Direction Régionale de Développement)
Siège de Gouvernorat 2100 Gafsa
Tel : (216) 76 220 411
Fax : (216) 76 220 411
E-mail : odsud@E.mail.ati.tn
API
Industrial Promotion Agency
(Agence de Promotion de l’Industrie)
6 Rue Baghdad BP 214 2100 Gafsa
Tel : (216) 76 228 818
Fax : (216) 76 221 535
E-mail : api@api.com.tn
APIA
Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency
(Agence de Promotion des Investissements Agricoles)
8 Av Taieb M'hiri BP 371 2100 Gafsa
Tel : (216) 76 220 706
Fax : (216) 76 220 706
E-mail : Prom.Agri@apia.com.tn
UTICA
Employers' Federation for Industry, Commerce and Crafts
(Union Tunisienne de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’Artisanat)
15 Rue Assad Ibn El Hareth Gafsa
Tel : (216) 76 420 406
Fax : (216) 76 422 884
SODIS
Development and Investment Company for the South
(Société de Développement et d’Investissement du Sud)
Immeuble Ettanmia 4119 Medenine
Tel : (216) 75 642 628 | | |
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