A clearly marked will is pointed in the field of new communication and information technologies through:

1. A national commission on electronic commerce created since the end of 1997. Its work allowed the implementation of the following actions :
1. A report on electronic commerce in Tunisia and the ways and means of developing it;
2. A code project on the exchanges and electronic commerce (Law N° 2000-83 of the 09/08/2000 JORT of the 11/08/2000);
3. Proof and digital signature (Law N°2000-57 of June 13 2000, modifying and supplementing certain articles code of obligations and contracts);
4. Six pilot projects on electronic trade www.ecom.tn

• SOCOPA articles of the Tunisian craft industry.
• Post Stamps
• Reservation of tourist tours in the Tunisian Sahara
• Reservation in a chain of hotels in the area of Cap Bon
• Data-processing Equipment sale and software on the Tunisian market
• E-Gallery of the CEPEX: The Center opened a space for Tunisian companies to encourage them to carry out commercial shops. The Shopping mall comprises 11 companies shops and is lodged since May 21, 1999. It is a launching platform since the shops which are there will leave the gallery at the end of the initiation and development period during which the company prepares itself on the logistic level to manage in an autonomous way the transactions. Afterwards, new companies will be integrated in the gallery.

Results of the experiment: The six pilot projects have been operational since May 1999. The transactional process functions perfectly for B to B and B to C and generated orders that were satisfied within the deadlines.

The program aims at developing the Internet culture in Tunisian SMEs and SMIs and at focusing in particular on electronic commerce. The objective is to encourage companies to the use of communication and information technologies and to act on the decision-making centers that are in charge of boosting concrete actions in the field. The Implementation of this program was organized in collaboration with ATI, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Young Economic Chambers, Technical Centers, Federations and certain associations. A formula called: "Caravan of the Internet" was adopted and touched all the regions. The guidelines of this program are:

To demystify: To show that electronic communication is simply a media, a marketing tool.

The cultural component: If the infrastructure of the telecommunications networks constitutes an undeniable vector in the development of communication and information technologies, the cultural component also plays a determining role.

A progressive approach: a progressive familiarization passing by the use of electronic mail and the search for information on the Web. It is only at the second stage that the company could insert the Internet in its marketing strategy, which implies an internal reorganization.

To mobilize the administration: In addition to a pedagogy directed towards the Tunisian companies, it is necessary to train and mobilize the administrations. The public sector in Tunisia has a significant role to achieve in the promotion of electronic commerce.

The national program of awareness covering all the regions was destined to executive senior officers from Tunisian exporting SMEs/SMIs.

1. CEPEX publishes every month since the end 1997 a free news bulletin on communication and information technologies "Tasdir Net News" informing Tunisian operators on the benefits they can draw from the Internet use.

2. An ad hoc ministerial commitee (decree n°99-2807 of the 21/12/1999) charged to monitor work undertaken to develop the use of the NCIT in Tunisia

3. Incentives

The Center mobilizes human and financial means to encourage companies to familiarize and adopt the NCIT and in particular electronic commerce

TTN is a limited company whose role is to facilitate the exchanges with outside by simplification of the procedures and of the exchanges of information, which are associated for them. TTN has for principal mission of managing the host center of the Sole Bundle and :

• to set up a network of electronic data interchange (dematerialization of the documents) at the benefit of the speakers in the procedures related to foreign trade
• standardization the documents (standards CEE/UN) ·
• to dematerialize the documents of the Single Bundle ·
• to institute a virtual single counter to offer more facilities to importers and exporters in their commercial transactions.

The site is on line since June 1998. It recorded a monthly average of the total number of effective access 47.000, the monthly average of printing is 15.000. It is a free site of information which contains in particular a data base " Tasdir Net Data base " on the exporting Tunisian companies of which the number passed from 147 companies in June 1998 to 260 currently.

6. An infrastructure

• Number of subscribers (lines Tel..) 1 million in 2000 - 2 million in 2004
• Number of subscribers with the GSM 45.239 (at the end of 04/2000)
• 300.000 at the end of 2000
• Telephone density of 7 lines for 100 inhabitants with a rate of digitalization of 5%, the density will be carried to 14 lines for 100 inhabitants in year 2001 and the rate of digitalization will reach 100%
• Internet Subscribers 30.000
• Web sites 250
• Publinet 133 will reach 150 at the end of 2000
• Internet users 200.000
• Internet access providers
• an international connection Internet of 11 Mbs/s and a reliable national backbone with 7 regional presence points ;
• a connection to the Internet networks, GSM, videotext and Audiotex according to international standards' X 500;
• connections by satellite with Intelsat, Arabsat, Immarsat and Eutelsat;
• a connection by underwater optical fiber cables in the American continent, South East Asia, the Middle-East and Europe;

7. A strategic study

A study is launched on "the sectoral strategies for industries of products and services in information technology ". It is located within the framework of the program fixed for the development of the immaterial economy and aims at clarifying the strategic options of public authorities.

8. Obstacles

The raising major difficulties are the following:

• delay shown by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which did not yet fully integrate the telematics applications in their production process, of management and marketing. This situation, which prevails very largely in the developing countries, prevents in fact the creation of networks of commercial and professional information; mistrust towards new technologies, insofar as those have not easily controllable impact;
• the protocol SET remains still expensive: the bank must invest to 1,5 Dinar M to acquire this software;
• the corporate culture;
• the training of trainers;
• the software at accessible prices

9. RECOMMENDATIONS

The disparities as regards economic development, like in the allowance of public and private resources intended for the installation of infrastructures necessary to prepare the future information society in the Developing Countries, represent a great handicap.

It is advisable to recommend more specific and effective actions aiming at establishing an active co-operation in the field of the NICT and which would not lead only to general draft agreements.

• Attribute to training in NICT a real priority in view of facilitating the integration of developing country users in the international competition and to undertake co-operation action relating to human resources training and the creation of markets likely to stimulate firms and thus to increase economic growth;

• Launch a trade promotion offices project network which can develop a communication and information system based on an internet server acting as an access gate to the whole information available on developing countries network;

• Offer a financial support for the development of multi-media industry, via co-operation projects joining together institutions of north and developing countries in view of promoting the design and dissemination of a large range of applications in fields such as trade, public health, tele-training, self training, tourism, transport , etc …