AfricanManager
A joint research project by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Centre for Research and Social Studies and UNICEF on “Poverty and Social Policies in Tunisia” has made a series of recommendations to the government to help reduce the poverty rate in Tunisia.
Director general of the Centre for Research and Social Studies, Sondos Mansar Semlali, told a workshop on Monday that the main objective of the research, which consists of four studies, is to strengthen social protection policies for families and children in Tunisia.
The research is based on national statistics on poverty in Tunisia, including a national survey on expenditure and consumption and the standard of living of families in 2021, carried out by the National Institute of Statistics, and the results of research by the AMEN social program.
She pointed out that the first study concerned the family allowance program for children aged between 6 and 18, noting that this research recommended the need to strengthen this program by increasing the amount of the allowance and extending it to a greater number of children, while the second study examined the impact of inflation on the poverty rate over the period 2021 to 2023.
The third study of this research focused on the generalization of bonuses for children and needy families, recommending the launch of a program to support all children to the tune of TND 432 per year through social security and a complementary amount through the Amen social program, she said.
For her part, researcher Imen Meddeb stressed that the fourth study recommended the importance of speeding up structural reforms to ensure overall development, strengthen social protection and guarantee access to education for all.
On this occasion, Minister of Social Affairs, Issam Lahmar, underlined that the state has started the process of reforming the social protection system by adopting laws and regulations to ensure that all citizens benefit from social security coverage.
Social benefits for vulnerable groups have not reached the required level, despite the progress made in this area,” he said, stressing the need to implement reforms as soon as possible.
