The one-stop shop at API is a service area where administrative and legal formalities can be accomplished thanks to the presence of representatives of the various governmental authorities involved in setting up new businesses: declaration of intention to invest and legal constitution of new companies.

The one-stop shop is part of API’s facilitation and incentives management department, located at API’s head office in Tunis and at its regional offices in Sousse and Sfax.

In its current configuration, API’s one-stop shops in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax are made up of representatives of the following authorities:

Investment Promotion Agency (API)
Registration of legal papers for businesses: tax office (Recette des Finances)
Tax inspection (Contrôle des Impôts)
Court clerk (Greffe du Tribunal)
Official printing press of the Tunisian Republic
Customs
Ministry of the Interior

Aside from the above-mentioned desks, API’s one-stop shop in Tunis includes three others:

Single intermediary for setting up a business
Ministry of Employment and the Professional Insertion of Young People (MEIPJ)
National Social Security Authority (CNSS)

In February 2006, as per the agreement between API and the Ministry of Finance, the office of the single intermediary was set up at the one-stop shop to act as the vis-à-vis for promoters to carry out the formalities required to set up a business. This office is in charge of carrying out on their behalf, within 24 hours of the submission of a request and determination that it is complete, the formalities required to set up a legal entity, be it a private individual (individual company) or corporate entity (limited company, unipersonal limited company, limited liability company …) He or she is also in charge of carrying out, on their behalf, formalities to obtain a customs identification number/customs code.

In the framework of its participation in the government program to promote a communicating administration, API has in cooperation with the relevant services represented at the one-stop shop at its head office in Tunis set up a mechanism for setting up companies on line. This option uses reliable electronic means as per current legislation governing electronic trade to carry out the administrative and legal steps required to set up a limited responsibility company, a limited company or a unipersonal limited company, activities for which are governed by the terms of the investment incentives code. (Cf. Law n°2004-89 of 31 December 2004 concerning procedures for setting up a company on line and decree n°2005-3189 of 12 December 2005 modifying and further elaborating decree n° 2001-1567 of 2 July 2001, setting the administrative and financial framework and operating modalities for the Industrial Promotion Agency)

Services at API’s one-stop shops in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax


The one-stop shop provides a set of services, including:

issuing of an attestation that a declaration of intention to invest has been submitted
carrying out on behalf of promoters formalities to set up their companies through the office of the single intermediary (a service of the one-stop shop in Tunis)
carrying out formalities to set up businesses, on the spot, directly at the desks of the one-stop shop
carrying out formalities to set up companies, on line, at the virtual one-stop shop via the Agency’s website: www.webentcreation.tunisieindustrie.nat.tn
providing other kinds of services related to the setting up of investment initiatives
assistance and information on Tunisia’s investment environment

Certification of the one-stop shop: API - Tunis, Sousse and Sfax

In May 2000, API’s one-stop shop in Tunis received ISO 9002 version 1994 certification, awarded jointly by INNORPI and the Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI).

In May 2003, renewed audit led by INNORPI brought about migration to version 2000 of ISO norms and certification for ISO 9001 version 2000. In June 2005, API’s one-stop shop in Tunis passed its second oversight audit, which took place after widening the field of investigation for certification to include activities at the two one-stop shops at the Agency’s regional offices in Sousse and Sfax. The approach adopted to widen this scope was based on expansion of the documentary system established in 2000 at API’s one-stop shop in Tunis, integrating the elements specific to the sites of Sousse and Sfax. External audit to certify activity at the one-stop shops in Sousse and Sfax, also carried out by INNORPI in July 2005, led to certification and widening of the perimeters of certification to activities at these two sites. The Agency’s one-stop shops at API’s offices in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax will continue to work to meet the needs of the various users of these services. A «QUALITY CHART» has been adopted, based on the following criteria: signature of «Quality-Service» agreements with the departments that man desks at the one-stop shop assignment of qualified, skilled staff introduction of a system to regularly update the services they offer relating to acceptability and processing of applications introduction of a system to gather information, notably about legislation governing Tunisia’s investment environment and procedures/formalities for setting up new businesses elaboration of indicators to measure performance at the one-stop shop making available of the material means needed by these desks ongoing improvement of the quality management system, thanks in particular to user surveys and process monitoring sheets