Tunisian Finance Minister Houcine Dimassi quitted following a disagreement with the government over its economic policies.

Tunisian Finance Minister Houcine Dimassi quitted following a disagreement with the government over its economic policies.

"I can confirm the resignation, which has been accepted," Ridha Kazdaghli, an aide to Jebali, told AFP news agency.
In his letter, Dimassi said he was standing down over differences with the government on its economic, monetary and social policies. Concretely, Dimassi complained of excessive spending.

"As I tried to maintain a balance in public finances, I became aware that most members of the government were following an electoralist policy that was ballooning government spending," he said in a statement.
These "excesses" are aimed at "gaining the sympathies of certain social groups ahead of the coming elections," he said.

The "most serious matter" involved a bill before the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) that proposes to compensate partisans of the ruling Ennahda party, who suffered under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the martyrs who died in the uprising that unseated him in January 2011.

"The bill would require considerable additional spending, taking into account the significant number of potential beneficiaries," he added, saying it would be to the "detriment of the (already) difficult economic and financial situation."