Written by Mona Yahia | From Magharebia

Tunisian Interim Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa returned home on Wednesday (March 19th), following a fund-solicitation trip to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Accompanied by other ministers and business leaders, Jomaa made the whirlwind Gulf tour to reassure foreign partners that it was once again safe to invest in Tunisia.

The effort to bring foreign funds to Tunisia includes Europe. Just before his 5-day trip to the Gulf, the interim premier met with European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule.

The lifting this month of Tunisia’s state of emergency may be a factor in raising cash. The EU will indeed give more money to Tunisia in 2014 than last year, Fule said Friday in Tunis.

According to Central Bank of Tunisia Governor Chedly Ayari, the EU promised a loan of 250 million euros. The World Bank also plans to give Tunisia a $500 million (362 million euro) loan this year.

This increase in foreign financial aid comes amidst security improvements and new political stability, Tunisian Finance Minister Hakim Ben Hammouda noted.

And Tunisia needs the funds now more than ever. The budget deficit in 2014 will be in the range of 7.8 billion dinars (3.56 billion euros).

Read more at Magharebia