Development Plan 2016-2020 - Volume II: Regional Content.

This 2016-2020 Development Plan, the first after the revolution, is a regional document aiming to enhance regional contributions to the country's major choices, fostering sustainable development that safeguards the rights of future generations. It represents a qualitative shift in regional planning, adopting a participatory approach and focusing on positive discrimination for less developed governorates and strengthening local governance to reduce regional disparities, optimize resource utilization, and promote human and natural resource management. Key elements include (i) establishing a civilizational project based on future confidence, new values, work ethic, and innovation; (ii) ensuring partnership among all stakeholders for inclusive development; (iii) adopting a development model that emphasizes self-reliance, innovation, and the social solidarity economy; (iv) strengthening the linkages and complementarity between local, regional, and national levels to integrate various areas. The Plan outlines policies to (i) improve connectivity between governorates to reduce developmental disparities; (ii) enhance regional development financing systems, including microfinance and investment funds; (iii) boost regional capacities and attractiveness by leveraging comparative advantages and establishing global partnerships; (iv) establish local and regional governance foundations, improve administrative and financial independence, and develop local tax systems; (v) improve living conditions and quality of life through infrastructure development and service delivery. Success requires a new culture of active participation in development efforts, moving away from total reliance on the state. The focus will be on effective implementation, utilizing an information system for monitoring and evaluation to ensure efficiency in all demographic, economic, social, environmental, and urban aspects.
Strategic Directions for the Period 2016-2020 include (i) Achieving comprehensive interconnection and communication across sectors such as transport, road infrastructure, public investments, private programs, and communication technology services; (ii) Developing and adapting the regional development financing system at the levels of the state budget, local authorities, and financing mechanisms; (iii) Supporting the capacities of entities and increasing their attractiveness by creating bodies with full powers and capabilities to serve development according to the principle of free management, upgrading regions to active development poles, and developing natural resources within the framework of sustainable development towards a green economy with employment opportunities and environmental gains; (iv) Developing decentralization and establishing the foundations of local and regional governance; (v) Improving living conditions at the regional and local levels.
The document presents development plans for 25 different Governorates of the country, including Tunis and the Greater Tunis region.