Summary:

In late-September 2023, the Tunisian government announced plans to review public service hires made between January 2011 and July 2021. 

During a speaking engagement in Washington, DC, Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar indicated that the audit could include as many as 100,000 personnel. The focus will be on recruitment and retention processes with a focus on identifying unqualified individuals. 

In his comments, FM Ammar indicated that the post-revolution civil service hiring process is the cause of many of Tunisia’s current economic challenges due to incompetence and the difficulty in removing public service employees from their positions. 

FM Ammar noted that the process of addressing issues in the civil service cannot proceed quickly, noting that the trade unions exist to protect employees and that the government cannot “throw families like that to the streets.” 

A lack of qualifications among public service personnel was raised previously when President Saied ordered the country’s local councils be disbanded. The new system for identifying local council employees included an overhauled approach to identifying and vetting qualified candidates for the positions in order to prevent nepotism and corruption. 

Outlook:  

The review likely holds significant potential to identify corruption and nepotism in the Tunisian public sector which is widely identified as inefficient and ineffective at many of its key functions. The numerous public-facing offices of publicly owned companies and utilities are notorious for their lack of customer service and have long stood as a point of frustration for Tunisians. 

However, the audit of the public service also likely serves as an extension of the administration’s efforts to limit the influence of the Ennahdha Party across the government. The administration has long blamed the country’s struggles on the entrenchment of personnel loyal to Ennahdha throughout the government. 

While the audit holds great potential to begin identifying fundamental issues within the public sector, it risks becoming a politicized witch hunt that could further isolate Tunisia from international partners. 

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