Tunisia: leaves of absence to set up private businesses increasingly attract public service employees
TUNISIAONLINENEWS- The mechanism providing for the possibility of benefiting from a leave of absence in order to set up one’ sown business, is increasing attracting Tunisian public service employees, the main population targeted by the measure which was adopted by the Tunisian parliament in 2003.
This type of leave is granted to tenured civil servants working in the public sector for one renewable year only.
During this period the employee benefits from social security and if the business is located in regional development areas, he/ she can also benefit from half a salary as well.
The Tunisian official gazette dated December 14, 2009 has published a list of civil servants who can benefit from the mechanism. The list includes public agents from the ministry of education and training, the ministry of commerce and handicrafts and the ministry of agriculture and water resources.
The public service agent and project promoter can always return to his position in the public service should he / she encounter difficulties in setting up a project.
Recent statistics show that since the voting of the bill in 2003, some 110 projects have seen the day, 12 of which are spin off projects, 8 others are financed by the Tunisian gas and electricity company (STEG) and 4 by the National Sanitation Board (ONAS).
The rest of the projects are ventilated across the sector of services, the environment, agriculture and industry. The State plays an active part in supporting potential project holders as shown by the number of mechanisms set up in this respect which notably include 25 business centres, 21 one-stop -shops and 10 spin off cells.
The project bearer is also likely to take advantage of a monthly meeting known as “Les Mercredis de l’Entreprise” (The Wednesdays of the enterprise), which were set up with a view to vulgarise the mechanism behind the creation of enterprises by enabling project promoters to benefit from training sessions carried out by experts operating throughout Tunisia.
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