Tunisia :FDI down 30% in 2011

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tunisia plummeted 29.2 percent last year in the aftermath of the revolt that felled long-standing president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, official data showed Wednesday. The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency said the north African country attracted around $1.1 billion in FDIs in 2011, down from $1.6 billion the previous year. Tunisia's vital tourism sector was the hardest hit, with a drop in foreign investment of 83 percent, while FDIs in the manufacturing industry and energy sector also declined by 42 percent and 19 percent respectively. Foreign investment usually accounts for around a quarter of job creations in Tunisia and is a key driver of growth. Tunisia's economy has sunk into recession since the January 2011 revolution.