Abrogation of Article 45: A Turning Point in Tunisia's Financial Management
The Assembly's decision to repeal Article 45 of the finance law, presented as a simplification measure, has raised concerns about financial transparency and the country's image abroad. On December 2, 2025, the Assembly of the People's Representatives voted to abolish Article 45 of the finance law, marking a significant shift in the management of financial flows in Tunisia and sparking a national and international debate. Initially designed to limit cash payments in high-value transactions, this article imposed specific thresholds and sanctions to strengthen traceability, combat the informal economy, and reduce the risk of money laundering. According to the government, its removal aims to alleviate administrative constraints, facilitate operations for small businesses, and unlock situations where the rigidity of formalities hindered economic activity. However, for many economists, parliamentarians, and organizations specializing in financial transparency, this decision constitutes a worrying setback: it comes at a time when Tunisia is striving to reassure its international partners, maintain its reputation with rating agencies, and negotiate new financing lines with multilateral financial institutions. By reducing control mechanisms over large cash transactions, the country risks not only encouraging a massive return to cash but also compromising efforts made over several years to modernize the financial system, improve tax governance, and align with international compliance standards. On the diplomatic front, the measure may be scrutinized by European partners and organizations engaged in economic cooperation, for whom financial flow transparency is an essential evaluation criterion. The government assures that an alternative mechanism will be introduced in the 2026 finance law, but the lack of concrete details maintains doubt about the effectiveness of these future measures. Thus, beyond the legal technicality, the repeal of Article 45 appears as a highly political decision, putting Tunisia in a delicate dilemma: simplifying economic life without undermining the country's financial credibility on the international stage.
