RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/1/Add.34
13February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0565)
Group onBasic Telecommunications Original: French
COMMUNICATION FROM TUNISIA
Draft Offer onBasic Telecommunications
ThepresentcommunicationiscirculatedtomembersoftheGrouponBasicTelecommunications
attherequest oftheRepublic ofTunisia.
_______________
Pursuant tocommitments inthecontext oftheworkoftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications,
theRepublic ofTunisia hasthehonour tosubmit below itsdraft offer concerning basic
telecommunications.
Thisconditional offer issubject to:
- Asatisfactory outcome tothecurrent negotiations ontrade liberalization in
telecommunications services aimed atestablishing aframework agreement inthisfield;
- theextent ofobservance byallmembers oftheGroup onBasic Telecommunications
ofthemost-favoured-nation (MFN) clause;
- observance ofthelaws, regulations andprovisions inforce inTunisia aswellasof
bilateralagreementsandinternationalconventionsandtreatiesconcludedbytheTunisian
Government, andregional, sub-regional andinter-regional commitments.
Tunisia willproceed toliberalize thefollowing telecommunications services:
- Mobile telephone service, asfrom theyear2000;
- Telex service, asfrom 1999;
- Packet-switched datatransmission X25(network services limited tolocalareas), as
from 1999;
- Frame relay (permanent highperformance datacircuits), asfrom 2000;
- Teleconference service, asfrom 1999;
- Local telephone distribution (wire andradio distribution networks andswitches), as
from 2003.
Forthepurposes ofliberalization ofthese services, Tunisia makes itsoffercontingent onan
obligation onevery telecommunications services supplier to:
- Supply rural telecommunications services;
- serve certain areas withtelephony;
- supply distress telecommunications services;
- contribute tothenational training andresearch endeavour inthetelecommunications
field.S/GBT/W/1/Add.34
Page2
Tunisia alsoreserves therighttomodify, extend orwithdraw itsofferpursuant toinstitutional
provisions, inthelightofanassessment ofitsinterests, aswellastherighttomake anyappropriate
technical change initsoffer.OFFER BYTUNISIAS/GBT/W/1/Add.34
Page3Modes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2)Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional
commitments
2.CTelecommunications services
(a)Point-to-point local telephone
distribution
(b)Packet-switched data
transmission
(Local service)
Frame relay services
(d)Telex
(o)Other
-Mobile telephone
Digital cellular telephone
-Paging
-TeleconferencingAsfrom:
theyear1999 for:
-telex
-packet-switched datatransmission
theyear2000 for:
-mobile telephony
-frame relay
-paging
-teleconferencing
theyear2003 for:
-local telephone distribution
(1) Possible through theTunisian public
telecommunications network
(2) None
(3) Commercial presence
Thesupply ofservices ispossible only
through thepublic telecommunications
network.Asfrom:
theyear1999 for:
-telex
-packet-switched datatransmission
theyear2000 for:
-mobile telephony
-frame relay
-paging
-teleconferencing
theyear2003 for:
-local telephone distribution
(1) None
(2) None
(3) None, other thantheregulations on
thecapital structure ofcompanies
operating inthetelecommunications
sector.Seenote.
Fortheliberalization
ofthese services,
Tunisia requires any
telecommunications
services supplier to:
-supply rural
telecommunications
services,
-serve certain areas
withtelephony,
-supply distress
telecommunication
services,Modes ofsupply: (1)Cross-border supply (2)Consumption abroad (3)Commercial presence (4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsubsector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional
commitmentsS/GBT/W/1/Add.34
Page4
Thesupply ofsuch services requires astart-
upandoperating permit issued inthelight of
national needs.
(4) None, except thehorizontal measures
concerning residence byaliens inTunisia.Conditions forpermits:
-bealegal person
-begoverned byTunisian law
-51percentoftheequity heldby
Tunisians
Foreign equity inTunisie Télécom is
authorized asfrom theyear2002, up
toamaximum of10percent.
(4) None, except thehorizontal measures
concerning residence byaliens in
Tunisia.-contribute tothe
national training and
research endeavour
inthe
telecommunications
field.