Summary:

On 11 November 2024, the Tunisian government launched the Platform for Self-Employed Entrepreneurs to promote individual businesses and stimulate employment with a new system designed to simplify administrative procedures and expand social security benefits for small and micro enterprises. 

The government estimates 25,000 self-entrepreneurs will enroll each year and will enjoy fully digitalized administrative procedures, access to social security, health cards, retirement benefits, and insurance, as soon as the auto-entrepreneur card is obtained.  

Beneficiaries of the new system are also entitled to a preferential tax regime since they only pay a single contribution that includes both social security contributions and taxes. Payment of this contribution is made from the second year after obtaining the auto-entrepreneur card.  

Additionally, beneficiaries of the new system can carry out their activities from their place of residence, during the first year, and have potential access to financing on preferential terms. 

Any individual with a small business in crafts, commerce, or services achieving an annual turnover below 75 thousand dinars is eligible for the new program. Self-employed entrepreneurs can benefit from the new status for a period of four years renewable once for a period of three years, at the request of the entrepreneur. 

Outlook: 

The Tunisian government is pushing towards liberalizing economic activities by supporting individual initiatives and small businesses through new legislation and digital platforms with an eye toward a more inclusive, entrepreneur-friendly marketplace. 

The establishment of the new self-entrepreneur platform is in line with the government’s growing support for communal enterprises and start-ups working under the guidelines of the Start-Up Act 2.0, all of which seek to empower small businesses.  

The state is also aiming at offering opportunities for freelancers and individuals operating in informal economic activities to formalize their businesses and benefit from social security coverage while also growing the potential for future tax revenues as businesses grow and expand. 

These initiatives could, in time, promote the Tunisian economy and help reduce unemployment rates, particularly among young Tunisians.  who have widely celebrated the launch of such platforms. However, further regulatory and market reforms will be necessary to truly empower young entrepreneurs to build and remain in Tunisia.  

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