News.

• Launching of a « Regulatory Sandbox » at the BCT: Test environment to accompany the experiment of small-scale innovative solutions with real clients

• Creation of a « BCT - Fintech Committee », a financial technologies-based website and a "BCT-LAB"

• « FINTECH@bct.gov.tn »: email address dedicated to the Fintech ecosystem.

«Tunisia is in possession of all means to become a regional technological Hub. Henceforth, efforts will be made as per an inclusiveness-based perspective that will make it possible to move up a gear in technological development in our country ». Such, in essence, is the message of Mr. Marouane EL ABASSI, Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia, today, 11 December, 2019, at the opening of the consultation meeting with the innovation ecosystem in Tunisia.

He underlined that, The BCT is working within a participatory approach, based mainly on openness, communication and interaction with the Fintech ecosystem. To this effect, the Fintech Committee; created recently at the Bank, will tend to build bridges between the regulator, namely, the BCT, and the innovation ecosystem in Tunisia. He also announced that a «website dedicated to this function will soon be launched ». Besides, two Strategic Projects, underway, aim at creating a «BCT-LAB» and launching a "regulatory Sandbox ».

This meeting was devoted to the presentation of the BCT’s policy with a view to promoting innovation in the banking and financial sector. It was also an opportunity to outline the operating modalities of the regulatory Sandbox prior to its official launching towards the end of January 2020 and receive comments on the approach adopted. According to the « BCT’s Fintech Committee », the regulatory Sandbox will represent a «test environment established by the regulator to accompany experiment of small-scale innovative solutions with real clients».

The Governor of the BCT has also pointed out that complementarity between Fintechs and the financial sphere will help to create added value, on the one hand, and to promote efforts as regards financial inclusion, on the other hand. «This is a win-win approach», as he emphasized.

Participants highlighted the importance of this approach, notably the ultimate contribution of facilities established by the BCT. The aim is to make Fintechs’ operation easier, despite a rigid regulatory framework, as they consider it. In this regard, Mr. EL ABASSI reminded that the overall approach is based on the BCT’s vision which aspires to be «a modern proactive and efficient Central Bank, at the forefront of economic and financial transformations». He was committed, to this regard, to integrating the different suggestions within the strategic reflection initiated at the BCT. In addition, raised questions will be the subject of further discussions between the Fintech Committee and the ecosystem. In order to make this participatory approach concreate, an e-mail address «FINTECH@bct.gov.tn» was dedicated to submitting the Fintech ecosystem’s suggestions.

This meeting was organized by the BCT’s Fintech Committee, in the presence of Mrs. Dorothee Delort, acting as a World Bank expert, and attended by different intervening parties from the innovation ecosystem in Tunisia. This includes, mainly, Fintechs, incubators, accelerators, the Tunisian Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (A.P.T.B.E.F), representatives of local banks, relevant ministries, telecommunications operators, university representatives, the Consumer Defense Organization, the National Electronic Certification Agency, the National Cyber Security Agency, payment systems’ managers...