The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) published, on September 1, 2026, a circular addressed to banks to set the conditions and regulatory procedures that they must observe in processing loan and honor-based microfinancing requests, in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 148 of 2026, dated July 23, 2026.
According to a statement issued Tuesday by the BCT, this circular aims to standardize the mechanism for receiving clients’ requests by banks under the provisions of this decree, in order to enshrine the principle of equality among applicants and to ensure that the handling of files is conducted in the order of their submission.
To this end, the circular requires every bank to set up a digital platform through which clients wishing to benefit from a loan or an honor-based financing must obligatorily and exclusively submit their requests, starting from October 1, 2026.
According to the same communiqué, each digital platform must allow recording the date and time of the submission of the request and provide the client with an acknowledgment of receipt by any means that leaves a written trace. This system will allow classifying requests according to their submission order and calculating the timeframes set for their examination and processing.
This directive is part of the modernization of banking services and the simplification of procedures. These platforms must also strengthen the transparency of the processes and the reliability of the handling of requests submitted by clients, while respecting the legislative and regulatory provisions relating to the protection of personal data as well as the requirements of information security.
Before the platforms go into service, and under the supervision of the Central Bank of Tunisia, banks will take the necessary communication measures to inform notably about the conditions and procedures for submitting requests, as well as the different stages of their examination and processing. Informational spots will soon be broadcast through the various available communication channels.
The Central Bank of Tunisia concludes by emphasizing that choosing October 1, 2026 as the date of entry into force of the circular and the launch of the digital platforms is part of the aim of establishing the technical and procedural conditions necessary for the effective and rigorous application of the legal framework relating to loans and honor-based microfinancing, while striving to achieve the economic and social objectives targeted by their implementation.
