If Tunisia does not overcome its economic difficulties, an austerity program will be inevitable next year with thousands of public sector job cuts and new taxes, prime minister-designate Youssef Chahed told parliament on Friday. Chahed has promised his new government will take tough decisions to help growth in the economy and create jobs with the North African state under pressure from international lenders to push through economic reforms and trim public spending. Lawmakers were meeting on Friday to vote whether to approve Chahed's new government - a broad coalition of secular, Islamist and leftist parties, independents and trade union allies which he believes can deliver on economic reforms.
