315. A policy of assistance to employment and micro-entreprises promotion had also been defined to accompany the policy of macro-economic growth. This policy is based on four types of mechanism : • • • • The mechanisms for financing micro and small-scale entreprises in the sectors of the industry, agriculture, services and arts and crafts; The extension and strengthening of the pilot programmes, of the networks of training centres for independent employment, through the introduction of new training methods, the creation of entreprises and the development of entrepreneurial competence; The reintegration programmes which are meant for the youth of different educational levels having difficulties of entering the job market; The regional and urban development programmes which, apart from their contribution to the harmonious and stable development in the different regions, in the context of the decentralization policy, participate in the consolidation and the creation of jobs by means of specific mechanisms set up for the creation of productive activities. 316. It is to be pointed out that this employment development strategy had been strengthened notably by the Tunisian Solidarity Bank (BTS), the National Employment Fund (FNE) and other specific programmes. A) The Tunisian Solidarity Bank (BTS) 317. The system of project funding has moreover been consolidated through the reinforcement of the Tunisian Solidarity Bank’s (BTS) interventions and the system of micro-loans granted by the Associations and the various programmes of the National Employment 21-21Fund. For this purpose, the BTS has contributed, since its creation in 1998 up to end June 2004, to the financing of 70,686 loans and creating more than 101,000 jobs. Furthermore, with the objective of consolidating employability and of simplifying the meeting between the employer and the job seekers, a set of measures had been put in place, including notably: • The establishment and equipping of employment bureaux and of strengthening the existing network which currently boasts 89 bureaux distributed throughout the territory; • The promotion of a computing mechanism which allows the immediate identification of the movement of the job market and the exchange of information and data; • The creation of a national information and professional orientation centre and the strengthening of all the employment bureaux so as to better enhance their role in accompanying the candidates who come looking for jobs. 68