April 13, 2020

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Declaration of the Ministerial Council meeting

Prime Minister Elias El-Fakhfakh on Monday, April 13, 2020 at the Carthage Guest House, oversaw the cabinet meeting. At the start of its work, the Council appreciated the speed with which the President sealed the law on the authorization of the Prime Minister to issue decrees and shorten deadlines to speed up the implementation of measures to combat the spread of the Corona virus. It also appreciated the approval of the People’s Assembly by a large majority of the law authorizing the Prime Minister to issue decrees in accordance with chapter 70 of the Constitution.

The Cabinet stressed the Government’s willingness to use the decrees to take appropriate measures to manage the crisis and respond quickly and effectively to its evolution. The Cabinet approved the first set of draft decrees on financial, economic, social and legal measures included in the fight against the Corona epidemic.

These decrees have been ratified:

– A decree on suspension procedures and time limits;
– A decree laying down exceptional provisions relating to the sponsorship of burial costs for Tunisians who died abroad during the period of the spread of the Corona virus;
– A decree on the establishment of exceptional provisions relating to public officials, the discretion of public institutions and establishments and administrative services;
– A decree relating to the electronic publication of the official pioneer of the Tunisian Republic and the determination of the date of entry into force of the legal texts;
– A decree promulgating fiscal and tax measures to mitigate the consequences of the spread of coronavirus;
– A decree creating an exceptional circumstantial contribution, for the year 2020, for the benefit of the State budget;
– A decree on the establishment of special provisions to deal with the spread of the Corona virus infection;
– A decree relating to the promulgation of extraordinary and circumstantial social procedures to accompany and inform establishments affected by the repercussions resulting from the implementation of comprehensive quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the Corona virus;
– A decree on the establishment of exceptional and circumstantial social procedures to accompany certain types of self-employed workers affected by the repercussions resulting from the implementation of comprehensive quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the Corona virus;
– A decree on the establishment of special provisions to prohibit violations of competition and price rules;
– A decree on the review of the performance and lessons required on self-protection products to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection;
– A decree on the adoption of exceptional and circumstantial provisions to suspend work in certain provisions of the Labour Code.

The Cabinet also approved:

– A draft Government Decree on the establishment of formulas, procedures and conditions for the application of the provisions of the Decree on the promulgation of exceptional and circumstantial social procedures to accompany institutions and take note of their actions affected by the repercussions resulting from the introduction of comprehensive quarantine procedures to prevent the spread of the corona virus;
– And on a draft government decree on the organisation of  the Ministry of the Environment.

For more information (in Arabic), please consult the following link.