Tunisia’s new prime minister, Youssef Chahed, has cut the pay packets of his ministers in a show of “solidarity” at a time of economic hardship, the government announced on Friday.
The lowering of “bonuses and privileges” amounts to a cut of around $450 a month for each of Chahed’s 40 ministers and secretaries of state, it said in a statement.
The cabinet approved the measure as an act of “solidarity by members of the national unity government with Tunisia,” it added.
One of Chahed’s aides saidthe cuts would come into effect “immediately”.
Tunisia’s new government began work last month with a long to-do list.
The country has been riven by a string of jihadist attacks, including on its vital tourism sector, and the economy has struggled since its 2011 uprising.
Unemployment grew by 0.8% last year to over 15% and is even higher among young people.
