Update January 2000: Tunisia

Top governmental decisions regarding the modernization of the telecommunications networks, preparatory actions for the "school of tomorrow", generalization of informatics to the technical schools, the first week of Internet and seminars to the Tunisian public, as well as round table arrangements from important bodies towards IS sectors, characterize the past quarter.

Last developments in the promotion of IS

CALL FOR PROJECTS

• During the first week of October, the President of the Tunisian Republic, recommended to the Minister of Education the elaboration of a program regarding the generalization of informatics to all the technical schools in order to become an educational and work tool for these schools.
  
• On 8/10/1999, the President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali received Mr. Ahmed Friâa, Minister of Communications. He expressed his interest in the progress of the projects in the sector of communications in general and especially for the undergoing developments for the expansion of the Tunisian GSM mobile phone network, which is expected to reach 1 million subscribers by the end of the year and covers all the parts of the country. The Head of the Tunisian Republic advised that the expansion should be realised rationally and according to the time schedule since it plays a major role for the economic development of the country.
  
• In late-October, a convention of co-operation has been signed among the Superior Institute of Tourism, the Hostelry of Sidi Dhrif and the Foundation Sophia Antipolis (Nice). This convention of co-operation concerns the Mediterranean project of a virtual school regarding professions in the Mediterranean Sea and especially distance-training for people working in the sector of tourism. This project regroups France, Morocco and Tunisia and embodies the aforementioned countries in the framework of the Eumedis program and that of the French-speaking inforoutes.
  
• The extension of the national telecommunication networks as well as the completion of projects regarding the modernization of these networks are among the top decisions that have been taken by the President of the Tunisian Republic. The modernization of these systems has to be implemented in a way that will correspond to the needs of the country, to the rapid changes globally, and with the strengthening of enterprise competition. In a late-November meeting between the Chief of the State and the Minister of Communications, the Minister presented the preparations under way according to the presidential decisions.
  
• The President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali by receiving in mid-December, Mr. Ahmed Iyadh Ouederni, Minister of the Education, has expressed his interest for the realization of a future program that will prepare the school of tomorrow through a national competence training program for producing multimedia pedagogical tools and mastering their use. The President of the Tunisian Republic has decided that the creation of an advanced production structure of such instruments through the National Pedagogic Center and in accordance with a specific plan for the development of this national institution will meet the demands of the current stage and the program objectives. The Chief of the State has been equally interested in the promotion of teaching information technologies and to the exploitation of modern technology exploitation in communications. Strengthening the opportunities for accessing knowledge is a must. The Head of Tunisia has ordered the creation of a virtual library at the disposal of all scholastic establishments users.

COMMUNICATION actions

• An important IS awareness activity and incentive to the utilization of the Internet took place in early November 1999. The first national week of Internet was a major action, marked by several IS events described beneath. The kick-off event was to organize sensitivity awareness in various regions of the country, coordinated by the ministry of Communications, IS service suppliers and PUBLINET responsible. During this week, besides the seminars on Internet in all regions of the country, a two-day international conference on Internet and electronic commerce took place at the exhibitions Park of the Kram, where expert representatives from public/private enterprises participated. It has been underlined, by the Minister of Communications Mr. Ahmed Friaa, the concern of Tunisia to be at the forefront of IT, with the ultimate goal of guaranteeing the country's presence in the international scene while safeguarding the national identity.

• In the same period and at the same venue, a supporting exhibition about IT, Internet services and e-commerce was held. For the first time in Tunisia, a contest named "Oscar Web" was organized, aiming at the development of web sites. While web page elaboration was emphasized, creativity was successfully combined with the exploration of the IS.

• In mid-November, at the Charguia International Center of Fairs and Congress, one of the greatest informatics appointment opened its gates. SIB 99, welcomed 90 exhibitors. Several novelties of the IS world were presented, such as: software of management from points of sale, software in the judicial area, educational games (Arab and French) on CD Rom, multimedia accessories, videoconference, tele-medecine and tele-working applications.

• On the last Sunday of November, the distribution of the Internet culture and the strong emphasis given to continuous training, were among the topics that were debated during the 4th session of the national Council of the Engineers (Conseil de l'Ordre des Ingenieurs) held in Sfax under the presidency of Mr. Kamel Ayadi.

• The COI marked as the highest priority action, the consecration to the concept "life-long training for all". Under this framework, the aforementioned body is directly involved in the installation of a system that will allow all the engineers to be trained in a way as to exploit new information and communication technologies to the maximum.

• In early December, the Tunis National School of Engineers Alumni Association organized a round table on " telecommunications, vehicle for the acceleration of economic and social development". This action, presided by Mr. Ahmed Friâa, Minister of Communications, gave an opportunity for members of the Association to be informed about the realizations of this crucial sector as well as its essential role in the development the socio-economic life of the country.

• Infrastructure development, human resources development and regulation of the telecommunications sector, awareness and the introduction to the culture of information, are the three major axes on which the pace of Tunisia on route to the evolution is based on. The repercussions of the rapid telecommunication technology changes to the Tunisian society as a whole, was stressed and the most important steps were presented.
  • Telecommunications sectors investments follow an ascending path
  • One million subscribers to the telephony system, forecasted to be doubled in 2004
  • On-going increase in the transmission rate for the national Internet backbone (from 0.5 Mbps to 10Mbps)
  • On-going expansion of a fiber optic system (3500km from 2500 km)
  • E-commerce law to begin in early - 2000
  • Tunis technological park
  • Internet week
  • Enquis - E-commerce certification and payment organization
• It would be a great omission not to refer in this third quarter memo that "Caravanes de l' Internet", a Q2 IS awareness action, has a notable effect on the Tunisian society.

PUBLICATION

• During late December parliamentary discussions concerning budget 2000 approval, Mr. Montassar OUAILI, Secretary of State in charge of Information Technologies, has reviewed the Ministry’s activities during year 1999. He informed the Parliament that during 1999, 107 plans in the area of Information Technologies have been incorporated in the IXth Development Plan against 14 in the previous years. He also announced that the Ministry has adopted 1530 projects about computerization for a value of 110 millions dinars. It was also underlined that the number of Internet subscribers raised by 50%, reaching 24000. During the same discussions, Mr. Abdelkrim Zbidi, Secretary of State in charge of Scientific Research and Technology, has announced that the financial resources allocated to scientific research and technology are estimated to reach 1% of the GDP in the year 2004.

EXPERTISE

• In late November, Tunisian officials announced that Tunisia has resolved almost all computer malfunctions that could emerge at the turn of the millennium in telecommunications, power, gas, water production and distribution, and customs.

• According to the GM of Tunisia's telecommunications operator Tunisie Telecom, Mr. Ahmed Mahjoub, almost all Y2K compatible equipment and software have been already tested and made operational and the sector will be ready on time. Mr. Mahjoub said that Y2K compatible services include those of fixed telephone, mobile telephone systems, data transmission, satellite communications, networks and Internet systems.

• According to Belhassen Zouari, head of the Y2K programme at the government's secretariat of state for computers the production and distribution of electricity, gas and water would not be disrupted because the main equipment and software had been made Y2K compatible. He also said that the Tunisian administration computer systems and networks, including the customs information system called SINDA, were also ready for 2000.