• Omar Talbi: Department of Economics. Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management of Tunis, University of Tunis El-Manar. FX Corporate Sales at Citi Bank Tunisia, Salle de Marché. Email : [email protected]
• Meriem Sebai: Department of Economics. Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management of Tunis, University of Tunis El-Manar. E-mail: [email protected]

• Policy briefs

Tunisia is witnessing major changes in its financial landscape following the introduction of stringent new regulations on cheque usage. Indeed, these reforms were implemented in order to combat fraud, restore trust in the banking system, and align with international financial standards. The impact has been immediate: according to the Central Bank of Tunisia, cheque transactions fell by 94% between early 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, dropping from 68,000 cheques per day to approximately 3,900. In value terms, the first quarter of 2025 recorded a 48% decline, with only 15.9 billion TND processed compared to the previous year . These reforms were introduced under Law n°41-2024 of August 2^nd, 2024, which came into force on February 3^rd, 2025, with the launch of the digital platform TuniChèque . Nevertheless, a storm of mixed reactions regarding this matter has emerged from economic actors. Large institutions can adapt more easily, as they have mechanisms to absorb the changes, while small and medium enterprises (SMEs), informal traders, and certain household sectors are facing huge transition costs. This policy brief examines the macroeconomic and sectoral impacts of these regulations and provides practical recommendations to support the transition and take advantage of the positive aspects of the reforms.