WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/STR/N/8/TUN/Rev.1/Suppl.1 
G/STR/N/9/TUN/Suppl.1 
G/STR/N/10/TUN/Suppl.1 
27 April 2006 
 
 (06-1977) 
Working Party on State Trading Enterprises Original:   French 
 
 
 
STATE TRADING 
 
New and Full and Updating Notificatio ns Pursuant to Article XVII:4(a)  
of the GATT 1994 and Paragr aph 1 of the Understanding  
on the Interpretation of Article XVII  
 
TUNISIA 
  
 The following communication, dated 13 April 2006,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Permanent Mission of Tunisia.  
_______________ 
 
 
 The Permanent Mission of Tunisia in Geneva presents its compliments to the Secretariat of 
the World Trade Organization and has the honour of  attaching hereto an additional notification 
concerning the activities of the Tunisian Central Pharmacy for the period 2002-2004, pursuant to the 
provisions of Article XVII:4(a) of the GATT and paragraph 1 of th e Understanding on the 
Interpretation of Article XVII. 
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  TUNISIA CENTRAL PHARMACY 
1. State trading enterprise 
A. Tunisian Central Pharmacy (PCT) 
 
2. Reason for maintaining a state trading enterprise 
 The PCT, established and organized under th e Decree-Law of 16 January 1961, as amended 
by the Law of 26 November 1990 and the Decr ee of 20 April 1991, is responsible for: 
 
• Regular supply of medicines and pharmaceuticals to the Tunisian market; 
 
• covering the population's normal consumption of such products through the grouping 
of purchases, better competition and competitive prices. 
 
3. Description of the functioning of the enterprise 
A. The PCT deals chiefly with imports of the medicines and pharmaceuticals listed in 
Chapter 30.  
 It engages in exporting on behalf of international trading companies. 
 B. The State monopoly of the import of medicines was assigned to the PCT by Law No. 90-105 of 26 November 1990.  
 The PCT also distributes medicines and pharmaceuticals to wholesale distributors and 
dispensing pharmacists and delivers the medicin es to their sales outlets at the same price. 
  It is the exclusive supplier of the hospital sector.  
 The Tunisian Central Pharmacy is a Stat e enterprise constituted as a non-administrative 
public establishment whose organization and func tioning were laid down by Law No. 90-105 of 
26 November 1990 and Decree No. 91-555 of 20 April 1991.   It was created and is maintained to ensure a regular supply of the Tunisian market, to avoid 
shortages of stocks of medicines, and to form a strategic stockpile to cover three months' normal 
usage, and to offer Tunisian consumers the same prices throughout the country. 
  The law under which it was created and is ma intained provides for State control primarily 
exercised through the Ministry of Public Health.  
C. There are no private imports of medicines and pharmaceuticals covered by the PCT's 
monopoly.  D. Procurement methods    The PCT purchases through: 
 
• International calls for tenders (mainly public sector); 
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  • Single tendering (mainly private sector); 
 
• Bi- or tri-annual agreements (public sector multi-year contracts). 
  The volume of imports is determined by norma l domestic consumption to satisfy demand, to 
form three-months' strategic stocks and to replenis h stocks in the case of excess consumption, delays 
in delivery, etc. 
 E. Export prices are fixed by agreement between the parties concerned.  F. The price of medicaments is fixed by the St ate.  Price increases are set by decision of the 
ministries concerned. 
  The margins for each item for sale are also fixed by decision of the ministries concerned.  In 
this way, domestic retail prices are homoge neous and identical throughout the country. 
  For the hospital sector, medicaments are supplied at cost plus the PCT's margin. 
 
G. The PCT has to negotiate long-term contracts fo r the same price over a fixed period or for the 
same price, plus a percentage increase negotiate d and agreed under negotiated purchase or calls for 
tender when the price is advantageous and can be held for more than a year.  This procedure is 
intended to stabilize prices and procurement, especi ally of medicaments for the chronically sick. 
 
H. The Tunisian medicaments and pharmaceuticals market is regulated to take account of the 
related social aspects and the modest level of local production.  
4. Statistical table 
(a)-(b) Imports/Exports 
 
Imports Exports Item 
2002 2003 2004 2002 2003 2004 
Officinal preparationsa 144.1 159.4 164.4    
Hospital preparations 101.6 94.4 94.6    
Total 245.7 253.8 259 1.5 0.16 .04 
(Value:  Millions of Dinar) 
a Officinal preparations including exports.  
 (c) Domestic activities:  Not available. 
 
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