Tunisia, JICA sign two technical cooperation agreements on productivity improvement and low-carbon energy

Tunis: Tunisia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed on Tuesday in Tunis two agreements to launch new technical cooperation projects in the fiels of productivity improvement and low-carbon energy. The two projects are expected to be completed by mid-2024, according to a press release issued by JICA on Tuesday. The first agreement concerns the "Kaizen" Quality and Productivity Improvement Project and the Promotion of Business Development Services (Phase III). It will build on the achievements of the previous phases of the project, in particular by extending the dissemination of the Kaizen concept in Tunisia to new sectors and new geographical areas. It also aims to consolidate Tunisia's position as a centre of excellence for the dissemination of Kaizen in Africa, particularly in French-speaking Africa. The project will also support efforts to institutionalise the dissemination of the Kaizen concept in Tunisia. The second agreement concerns the Low Carbon and Stable Supply Project for the Electricity System in Tunisia, with the specific aim of building the capacity of STEG (STEG Dispatching Centre) engineers to manage the electricity network. The project is designed to manage electricity supply and demand in a new context characterised by the increasing integration of electricity from renewable sources into the Tunisian grid. With the signing of these agreements, JICA can now proceed with the recruitment of a multidisciplinary team of Japanese experts for each of these two projects, who will work with their Tunisian counterparts, transferring Japanese technology and know-how to help them achieve the expected results of these technical cooperation projects. "In addition to the employment of Japanese experts, the technical support for the implementation of these two projects will include training in Tunisia and Japan in the fields specific to each project, as well as the supply of certain equipment and software needed to facilitate the implementation of the planned activities and achieve the expected results," the same source added. The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, Fatma Thabet Chiboub, Japanese Ambassador to Tunisia, Osuga Takeshi, JICA Resident Representative to Tunisia, Miyata Mayumi, Director General of Electricity and Energy Transition, Belhassen Chiboub, and Deputy Director General of STEG, Nejib Chtourou. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse