Tunisia – Al-Chorouk

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed announced on Tuesday evening plans to eliminate all substandard housing by the year 2019, as well as provision of opportunities for all middle-income Tunisians to benefit from the ‘First House’ Programme, which will provide affordable loans for the purposes of acquiring suitable housing. Chahed explained that 200 million dinars have been made available to support this new government programme.

During his speech to mark the beginning of activities at the National Symposium on ‘Reform of the social protection system: from Understanding to Law’, Mr Chahed said the government is working on a comprehensive reform which will go beyond circumstantial or partial treatment to treat all of the various systems of societal guarantees. This reform would broaden the scope of coverage to include groups with vulnerable occupations, especially those working in the fishing sector and irregular employment sectors.

He also explained that an analysis of the social guarantee system and the increasing financial pressure on the Treasury, necessitated the government’s expediting complete reform of the system, in order to maintain its continuity and stability, and to protect it from bankruptcy. Mr Chahed indicated the importance of visualising these total reformations, so that the Ministry of Social Affairs can ensure the rights of the current and future generations to social protection.

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Translated by Conor Fagan

Original article found here.