Circular to Banks No. 2021-04 of July 6, 2021

Tunis, July 6, 2021
CIRCULAR TO BANKS No. 2021-04
Subject: Establishment of the eligibility conditions and management procedures for the provisioning line designated to refinance rescheduling credits granted by banks to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the repercussions of the spread of the Coronavirus ("COVID-19"). The Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia, Having regard to Law No. 2016-35 of April 25, 2016, establishing the status of the Central Bank of Tunisia, Having regard to Law No. 2016-48 of July 11, 2016, concerning banks and financial institutions, Having regard to Government Decree-Law No. 2020-6 of April 16, 2020, prescribing fiscal and financial measures to mitigate the repercussions of the spread of the Coronavirus ("COVID-19"), as amended by Government Decree-Law No. 2020-22 of May 22, 2020, prescribing additional measures to support the cash flow of enterprises affected by the spread of "COVID-19", and in particular Articles 12 and 13 thereof, Having regard to Government Decree No. 2020-308 of May 8, 2020, establishing the criteria for defining affected enterprises and the conditions for their eligibility under the provisions of Government Decree-Law No. 2020-6 of April 16, 2020, prescribing fiscal and financial measures to mitigate the repercussions of the spread of "COVID-19", Having regard to Government Decree No. 2020-309 of May 8, 2020, establishing the eligibility conditions and management procedures for the provisioning line designated to refinance rescheduling credits granted by banks to SMEs affected by the repercussions of the spread of "COVID-19", and in particular Articles 3 and 4 thereof, Having regard to the Order of the Minister of Finance of May 8, 2020, concerning the establishment of the commission for supporting and assisting enterprises affected by the repercussions of the "COVID-19" pandemic, Having regard to Circular to Banks No. 2020-14 of June 18, 2020, concerning the establishment of eligibility conditions and management procedures for the provisioning line designated to refinance rescheduling credits granted by banks to SMEs affected by the repercussions of the spread of "COVID-19". Having regard to the opinion of the Compliance Control Committee No. 2021-4 of June 29, 2020, as provided for by Article 42 of Law No. 2016-35, and in particular its second paragraph concerning circulars of an urgent nature, Decides:
Article 1. The provisions of the first indent of Article 6 and those of the first indent of Article 8 of Circular to Banks No. 2020-14 referenced above are hereby repealed and replaced as follows:

• Article 6 (new first indent) - a fixed annual interest rate equal to the Central Bank of Tunisia's prevailing reference interest rate on the date of registration of the credit contract, increased by 2%,
• Article 8 (new first indent) - a fixed annual interest rate equal to the reference interest rate of the Central Bank of Tunisia stipulated in Article 6 of this circular.
  Article 2. This circular shall enter into force as of the date of its publication.
  The Governor,
  Marouane El ABASSI