(TAP) – Prime Minister Youssef Chahed announced on Saturday in Beni Ayech (Korba delegation, governorate of Nabeul), the actual launch of the "Ahmini" programme aimed at providing social coverage for half a million rural women working in the agricultural sector.

Chahed laid emphasis in a statement to TAP correspondent in the region the importance of this application that will help a large number of rural women without social coverage to be affiliated to the social welfare system, adding that efforts will be exerted in collaboration with the civil society to encourage them to adhere to it.

The PM underscored the rural women’s productivity in spite of the obstacles to the marketing process of their product, recalling in this regard, the role of the Government in improving women’s socio-economic situation, by ensuring an adequate support and creating a favourable climate.

For her part, Women, Family, Child and Seniors Affairs Minister Neziha Laabidi pointed out the importance of providing rural women with social coverage, confirming the easy access to the application "Ahmini" which will offer the female farmer several advantages by allowing her to benefit from a health booklet and a retirement pension.

Minister of Social Affairs Mohamed Trabelsi affirmed his department’s willingness to endeavour to achieve the government's goal which consists in extending security coverage to all Tunisians by 2021, especially as nearly a million Tunisians is deprived of this service.

National Social Security Fund (CNSS) CEO Habib Toumi said that this programme which will help integrate rural women into the economic life by allowing them to be affiliated to the CNSS through contribution by a telephone service (SMS), indicating that the amount of the contribution varies between 600 and 700 Millimes a day