“Nearly 45% of the active population works in the informal sector, which makes it urgent to adopt a pragmatic approach adapted to the Tunisian reality in order to integrate it into the social security system,” Minister of Social Affairs Issam Lahmar said on Monday.
Speaking during a training session organized by the ministry for journalists, Lahmar stressed that integrating informal sector workers into the social security system would strengthen their social protection.
In this context, he noted that the ministry is working to develop social protection through the guarantee of a minimum income, universal healthcare coverage, a minimum income for children and care for the elderly, as well as the introduction of electronic health cards to enhance transparency and ensure equal access to healthcare for all without discrimination.
He also pointed to the emergence of new forms of work, which the ministry is studying, regulating and seeking to integrate into the social coverage system.
In this regard, he highlighted the ministry’s proactive approach, particularly through the signing of an agreement with the International Labor Organization on digital labor platforms and the development of a national legislative framework on the issue.
Lahmar noted that restructuring the social security system requires forward-looking strategies that take external factors into account and identify new funding sources adapted to the Tunisian context, moving away from traditional financing models.
He explained that the current social security system is no longer aligned with social changes, particularly population aging and declining fertility rates, which have reduced the number of active workers compared to retirees whose pensions are financed by the working population.
He also emphasized the role of the media in raising awareness, informing the public, and promoting social justice.
Furthermore, he stressed the need to ensure decent work, noting that Tunisia has already made progress in this area and that further improvements can be achieved by the end of the development plan.
