The Parliament approved a package of five “concession” agreements granting foreign companies the right to own and operate solar energy plants for up to thirty years, with significant tax exemptions and international arbitration mechanisms that remove disputes from the jurisdiction of Tunisian courts.

These agreements also place heavy financial burdens on the Tunisian Company of Electricity and Gas, threatening its stability, while foreign investors are exempted from any serious commitment to technology transfer or strengthening local content.

In light of these disgraceful agreements, we in Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Tunisia clarify the following:

1. Despite the government’s denial, these energy agreements fully align with the dictates of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which aim to dismantle the public sector. This is evidenced by the World Bank’s financing of 430 million dollars months ago, along with the condition to lift energy subsidies.

2. Since these agreements transfer the ownership of the right to benefit from this resource to foreign entities with profit privileges at the expense of the public interest, they represent a consolidation of a disguised colonial model that drains the country’s wealth and resources.

3. The approved agreements do not include clear and binding clauses for technology transfer or strengthening local content. This means that, in addition to reinforcing “energy colonialism,” this foreign investment lacks any added value that could strengthen our technological capabilities or enable future energy sovereignty.

O People of az-Zaytouna: Such contracts represent a clear contradiction between how resources should be managed in a state that cares for people’s affairs and what is actually happening under the capitalist economic system governing the country. In Islam, energy is not merely a commodity; it is a public right of the Ummah, falling under public ownership shared by all Muslims. Therefore, it is not permissible for the state to treat it as a source of profit or taxation; rather, it must be managed in a way that serves the interests of the Ummah and enhances its security and welfare. The Prophet (saw) said: «الْمُسْلِمُونَ شُرَكَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثٍ: فِي الْمَاءِ وَالْكَلَأِ وَالنَّارِ»“Muslims are partners in three: water, pasture, and fire.”

O People of Tunisia: The worsening economic crises and their direct impact on rising living costs, widespread poverty, and unemployment are an inevitable result of the accumulation of flawed policies by which the country has been managed for more than seven decades. Tunisia is not a poor country; rather, it is rich in its resources, its strategic location, and its belonging to the Ummah of Islam. However, these resources are not being managed today according to the rulings of Islam that guarantee proper care of affairs. Realizing this truth is the first step toward empowerment and full sovereignty over our resources in a way that achieves justice, mercy, and prosperity.

Allah Almighty said:

[وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكاً]

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance indeed, he will have a life of hardship.” [Ta-Ha:124].