The share of public banks’ financing allocated to public interest sectors, including agriculture, housing, and strategic sectors—does not exceed 13.88% of their total loans.
The outstanding amount of these loans is estimated at 5,859.3 million dinars (MD), compared to a total loan portfolio of 42,207.7 MD, according to 2024 activity indicators published on the Financial Market Council (CMF) website.
These figures, which cover Tunisia’s public banks Banque Nationale Agricole (BNA), BH Bank, and Société Tunisienne de Banque (STB Bank) highlight the low share of financing allocated to public interest and strategic sectors.
For instance, BNA’s agricultural loans stand at only 1,168 MD, or 7.19% of its total loan portfolio, BH Bank’s housing loans for families and individuals reach 1,938 MD, representing just 13.66% of the bank’s total loans and STB Bank’s contribution to financing strategic public enterprises, such as the Grain Office and the Tunisian Trade Office (OCT), does not exceed 23.39%.
When it comes to priorities, BNA focuses primarily on commercial and industrial loans, BH Bank on service-related activities and STB Bank on tourism and consumer lending.
Despite public institutions aiming to boost public investment through their financial arms, namely public banks, their efforts to support public services remain limited to 5,859.3 MD as of the end of 2024.
