taking into account both quantitative and qualitative criteria, namely, education,
labour, social security, health, housing and food on the one part, freedom and
democracy in all its forms, on the other. And it is through social democracy,
through the conquest of new rights, through the promotion of solidarity that
Tunisia is laying the foundations for a world of human development, a world of
justice, of respect for the environment, of combat against imbalance, of job
creation and of training.
527. Between the « too much State » (Providence State) and the « too little
State » (ultraliberal theories) whose effects at the socio-economic level are also
disastrous, Tunisia opted for the « better State », dedicating itself to directing the
activities of the public authorities not towards production and social aid, but
towards the integration of the greatest possible number of citizens in the
economic network. It is no longer a matter of granting financial assistance to
citizens to help them take care of their needs, but of providing them with the
requisite technical resources and financial support, notably through the provision
of micro-loans at low level interest, to create their own activities and to take care
of themselves.
528. The Investment Incentives Code, promulgated by virtue of the law n°93-120
of 27th December 1993, particularly attractive for the private sector promoters,
sanctions equal opportunities relating to the right to launch a business by
providing and granting specific benefits to new promoters, to small scale
enterprises and to petty traders.
529. The disparities and the injustice which an uncontrolled economic
globalization can generate call necessarily for imperative responses. Beyond the
principles and the sentiments, the glaring disparities are economically detrimental
and socially destabilizing and constitute a threat to peaceful co-existence and
national unity. They hinder the survivability of economic growth. Thus, various
mechanisms have been put in place to contain the negative effects of liberalism
and to extend to all the regions and all the citizens, the benefits of the
opportunities created by the national economic growth and the well considered
integration in the global economy. To better mark the irreversible character of
solidarity as a strategic option in Tunisia, the concept had been sanctioned by the
constitutional law n° 2002-51 of the 1st June 2002 amending certain provisions of
the Constitution. Solidarity from henceforth became a constitutional value. Article
5 (paragraph 3) of the fundamental Tunisian law stipulates that « the State and
society work for the firm implantation of the values of solidarity, mutual assistance
and tolerance between individuals, groups and generations ».
530. Economic liberalism creates wealth. But it can be a factor of aggravation or
of the creation of new disparities. To avoid this fault which, if it is not corrected,
tends to create a two tier society detrimental to social peace and to the right to
development, Tunisia developed integration vectors directed towards the most
vulnerable categories of the society. It is the case notably of the National
Solidarity Fund (FSN), of the Tunisian Solidarity Bank (BTS) and the National
Employment Fund (FNE).
A) The National Soldarity Fund (FSN)
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