TUNIS, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's reserves in foreign currency reached 12,300 million dinars (about 5,098 million U.S. dollars) until Jan. 23, said the Central Bank of Tunisia on Wednesday.

This rate, aggravated by the slump in the trade deficit, is the lowest level in the last 15 years.

Tunisia closed the year 2017 with a record trade deficit, of the order of 15,592 million dinars, according to the National Institute of statistics of Tunisia.

Some Tunisian experts believe the downward trend of Tunisian reserves in foreign currency is explained by the worsening of the current account deficit, following the soaring oil prices, of which a barrel was recently worth more than 70 dollars in addition to the fall in tourist foreign currency revenues.

"The recovery of balances in terms of national reserves in foreign currency will depend on the degree of control of the government of its current account deficit," said Moez Laabidi, Tunisian economist.

According to Moez, the current Tunisian government is in urgent need of regularizing the situation of many exporting companies to unblock the flow of exports, generate foreign exchange and avoid the increase in indebtedness.