Role and attributions:

The Prime Minister:

Having existed under the monarchy then abolished in 1957, the post of Prime Minister was recreated under the Republic, by the decree n° 69-400 dated 7 November 1969, then introduced in the Constitution following the amendments of 31 December 1969.

According to article 60 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister directs and coordinates the work of the government. He is vested within this framework with a double-mission: the programming and coordination of the governmental action and the follow-up and general control in the field of public expenditures, in accordance with the legal and regulatory system in force.

The attributions of the Prime Minister have been defined according to articles 4, 5 and 6 of decree n° 69-400 dated 7 November 1969, establishing the Prime Ministry and fixing the attributions of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister sees, for the President of the Republic to whom he is responsible, that the general policy of the state is put into effect. He coordinates the activity of all the ministers and the secretaries of state. He calls and presides the inter-ministerial committees. He establishes their agenda.

In addition the Prime Minister implements the state policy in the economic and social development matter. To this effect, he proceeds to the elaboration of the national plans of development and to the establishment of programs and to the control of their execution.

Within the framework of his general mission of the State affairs running, the Prime Minister is in charge of:

• the functioning of the services of the general administration,
• the settlement of all the affairs concerning several services,
• the follow-up of all administrative affairs,
• the visa or the verification, depending on the case, of the regulatory or individual orders of the ministers and the secretaries of State,
• the ensuring of the texts publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Tunisia,

The Prime Minister:

The Prime Ministry has been established by the decree n° 69-400 dated 7 November 1969.

The decree n° 70-118 dated 11 April 1970 states that the administration of the Prime Ministry comprises eight structures, in charge mainly of the economic, financial, social and political affairs, civil service, general inspection and archives.

This organization has been modified and completed on several occasions mainly by the following decrees:

• Decree n° 71-133 dated 10 April 1971, reorganizing the services of the Prime Ministry and according to which has been established the General Secretariat of the Government,
• Decree n° 87-55 dated 12 January 1987, organizing the Ministry of civil service and administrative reform,
• Decree n° 87-1298 dated 27 November 1987, joining the structures of the civil service and administrative reform to the Prime Ministry,
• Decree n° 93-147 dated 18 January 1993, establishing the team of the citizens supervisors,
• Decree n° 93-1549 dated 26 July 1993, establishing the desks for the relations with citizens,
• Decree n° 2000-2453 dated 24 October 2000, establishing the general directorate of training and improvement of competencies at the Prime Ministry and fixing its attributions and its organization,
• Decree n° 2002-2130 dated 30 September 2002, joining the structures of the ex- Ministry of Economic Development to the Prime Ministry,
• Decree n° 2002-2131 dated 30 September 2002, establishing the following structures:
  • the unit of follow-up of organization of the public establishments and enterprises,
  • the unit of follow-up of productivity systems in the public establishments and enterprises,
  • the committee of State control.
• Decree n° 2002-3158 dated 17 December 2002, according to which have been established the following structures:
  • the committee of follow-up and investigation,
  • the committee of amicable settlement,
  • the national observatory of public procurements within the high commission of procurements.

On the other hand, 3 specialized commissions have been established within the high commission of procurements.

• Decrees n° 2005-1894 and n° 2005-1895 dated 5 July 2005, establishing respectively the unit of the electronic administration at the Prime Ministry, and the unit of the long-term planning and the administrative development monitoring.
• Decree n° 2007-2938 dated 19 November 2007, establishing the unit of the quality and administrative services at the Prime Ministry.
• Decree n° 2008-3809 dated 11 December 2008, establishing a unit by objectives for the achievement of suppression of administrative authorizations.

• Programming and coordination of the governmental action,
• Follow-up and the general control in the field of public expenditures in accordance with the legal and regulatory provisions in force
• Revision and control of acts referring to the administration and civil service
• Elaboration and implementation of the administrative prospects and reforms
• Study and adjustment of the text drafts having legislative and regulatory nature submitted by the different ministerial departments
• Follow-up of the organization and of productivity systems in the public establishments and enterprises
• Looking after the improvement of the quality of the administrative services
• Definition of the strategic orientations relating to the e-government, planning and achievement of related plans on the national level.