Is the digital economy mature enough in Tunisia? This is the question that a study prepared last January by the World Bank attempted to answer.
According to the diagnosis established by the World Bank, the maturity of the Tunisian digital economy is positioned between emerging and moderate, with an average score of 2.4 on a scale of 1 to 5. “The socio-economic dividends of digital technologies are emerging timidly in Tunisia, despite the efforts made since the first strategic plan of 2010/2011 for the development of the ICT sector,” noted the authors of the study.
They added: “Several projects and initiatives have been launched to improve the analog foundations, accelerate the digital transformation of the administration and strengthen the digital sector, including the ICT sector.
The institutional environment of the digital economy has also been equipped with several steering and governance structures and bodies, and the willingness of the highest public authorities to promote the success of national digital programs has also been reflected in the enactment of new codes and laws. Despite this progress, note the authors of the report, the pace of implementation of digital projects “could be improved” in order to unleash the potential of the digital economy in Tunisia.
In Tunisia, says the article, digital transformation is considered a priority development axis for the Tunisian government. Indeed, many advances and initiatives have been launched, particularly to improve the ecosystem of the digital economy. But, on the other hand, the authors of the report indicate that there is a strong untapped potential due to the low efficiency of the conduct of the digital transformation of the Tunisian economy. The development of the digital economy is also penalized by a regulatory framework governing the still incomplete digital ecosystem and low efficiency in R&D and digital innovation.
The World Bank report has, however, indicated that maturity is low in terms of digital financial services both in terms of supply and demand. In addition, digital platforms are still weak despite numerous initiatives launched. This is compounded by the still timid emergence of innovative digital entrepreneurship, despite recent improvements in the legal and regulatory framework governing it.
In addition to its small size, the maturity of the ICT sector is still emerging, while that of the media and content sector is still in its infancy. The digital sector suffers from a lack of digital skills resulting from the insufficient matching of ICT training to the needs of the labor market, and from the difficulties of companies to retain their skills, despite the many initiatives aimed at solving these problems.
Many initiatives have been undertaken and projects are underway for the digital transformation of administrative services. However, little progress is being made in the digital transformation of administrative and social services (e-education, e-health and e-culture), notes the report. Indeed, most digital projects are progressing slowly and are carried out in silos, due to weak coordination between the different stakeholders and inefficient governance mechanisms,” it adds. In addition, digital skills are not always sufficiently available to all stakeholders.
Le secteur privé connaît une transformation numérique progressive. En dépit des améliorations récentes de l’environnement des affaires du point de vue légal et réglementaire, l’économie tunisienne en général et l’économie numérique en particulier, continuent de souffrir d’une lourdeur bureaucratique, de contraintes financières élevées subies par le secteur privé, et d’un accès difficile aux marchés. Les nombreuses initiatives lancées sont freinées par la faible adoption des nouvelles technologies émergentes par les entreprises, et de leurs difficultés à retenir leurs compétences numériques. De surcroît, certaines divergences régionales persistent en matière de maturité numérique des entreprises.
Elle est favorisée par un accès relativement mature aux services Internet, mais elle est contrainte par un faible accès aux équipements TIC et aux technologies appliquées à la finance numérique. De plus, il y a une forte hétérogénéité de la maturité numérique des citoyens des différents gouvernorats. Cette faible maturité ne concerne pas seulement l’accès aux technologies numériques, mais également les usages qu’en font les citoyens tunisiens. En effet, les activités réalisées sur Internet et à travers les applications sur appareils mobiles sont très concentrées sur les réseaux sociaux, avec une très faible maturité en matière d’accès aux services financiers numériques (services bancaires, achats et ventes en ligne). Il en est de même pour l’accès des citoyens aux services publics en ligne qui est à un niveau de maturité préliminaire.
Il résulte des états de maturité des différentes fondations et piliers présentés que l’impact des technologies numériques sur l’économie tunisienne émerge timidement avec un score de maturité de 2,4. Ces faibles impacts sont confirmés par la 93ème position qu’occupe la Tunisie sur 139 pays en termes d’impacts économiques des TIC, et le 78ème rang en termes d’impacts sociaux des TIC.
Source: Le Manager
