Honor loans: ATPME spokesman criticizes Central Bank circular that could restrict access

A new Tunisian financing mechanism may exist in law but remain difficult to access in practice, according to Abderrazak Houas, official spokesman for the Tunisian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.

In a Facebook post dated September 2, 2026, Houas criticized a Central Bank of Tunisia circular on honor loans and financing. He said the circular could restrict the scheme’s effective application, even though Decree No. 148 of 2026 opened the way for this type of funding.

Houas focused on Article 2 of the circular. It says banks may grant the loans in line with the decree’s conditions, but that lending remains subject to the internal policies and procedures each bank uses when approving credit. In his view, this gives banks additional room to limit access.

He compared the provision with lending during the COVID-19 crisis, saying the Central Bank’s circular at that time left the final discretionary power with the bank. For Houas, the central issue is no longer whether the regulatory text exists, but whether citizens and small businesses can actually benefit from the honor-financing mechanism.

An honor loan is interest-free and requires no collateral. The scheme is financed through 8% of banks’ profits and is intended to support citizens and entrepreneurs.