The Board of the African Development Bank Group has approved a loan of €71.56 million to support the implementation of ‘Digital Tunisia 2020’ National Strategic Plan.
The Tunisian government is contributing €63.4 million, bringing the total cost of the project to €134.96 million. The project is national and all-encompassing. The ‘Digital Tunisia 2020’ National Strategic Plan (PNS) will be executed between 2018 and 2021.
The project will strengthen public services through the use of digital platforms, on a grand scale and includes, notably, the implementation of online administrative services, sectoral information services, a digital ID system, and a data exchange platform.
An important feature of the project is its broad geographical coverage. It will radically cut the current regional disparities so that all the Tunisian people will have access to grassroots services online, whether they live in urban areas or rural communities, north or south of the country.
Apart from putting government services within the reach of the population, the project will create a two-way dialogue, letting citizens participate in the formulation and implementation of public policies through electronic feedback, creating a climate of open government.
The project also has great potential for the wider Tunisian economy. It provides for substantial support to trigger a strong and performing digital economy in the country that will give much-needed job opportunities to the young graduate population.
“This project will allow the strengthening of administrative services offered to users and people in business,” said Mohamed El Aziz, the AfDB’s regional director for North Africa, adding that “it will contribute to and improve access to public services across the country.”
The Task Manager for the project at AfDB, Samatar Omar Elmi, added: “The project really illustrates how the adoption of new technologies can enhance public services delivery, improving the government’s dialogue with citizens while fostering the development of the local digital environment.”