Tunisia Hosts the 21st Edition of the Corporate Register Forum (CRF)
This week, Tunisia is hosting the 21st edition of the Corporate Register Forum (CRF), marking the first time this global conference is being organized in a Francophone and Maghreb country. The event brings together 180 delegates from 65 countries, focusing on the challenges of transparency, modernization, and anti-money laundering in commercial registers.
Challenges Facing the National Business Register (RNE)
The National Business Register (RNE) identifies several major challenges in its current operation. The first difficulty concerns balancing the dissemination of information to the public with the protection of personal data. In a context where economic transparency requirements are increasing, this reconciliation becomes complex. The second challenge is providing rapid and reliable access to data for users, particularly financial institutions and public establishments like the judiciary. Finally, the register must respond to international regulatory pressures, including the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which impose strict standards for compliance, data analysis, and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Digital Transformation Strategy
In response to these constraints, the RNE has presented an ambitious digital transformation strategy. According to its General Director, Mohamed Adel Chouari, nearly three-quarters of the register's services are already digitized. The goal is to achieve complete digitalization by 2027, allowing users to perform all their procedures remotely. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this project, facilitating the automatic detection of anomalies and anticipating fraud risks before they materialize. This approach aims to evolve the RNE from a passive register to an intelligent register, capable of strengthening the effectiveness of the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
Upgrading National Infrastructure
To support this modernization, the RNE also plans to upgrade the national infrastructure. This includes securing electronic signatures and deposit keys to guarantee the legal value of digital documents, as well as the future adoption of electronic contracts, or "smart contracting," to gradually eliminate the use of paper. The register currently covers 850,000 entities, including individuals such as traders, artisans, and liberal professions, as well as legal entities representing all forms of companies and associations.
Integrating the Private Sector
This edition of the CRF was also an opportunity to integrate the private sector into the process. The RNE has set up an exhibition and sponsorship forum to bring together public actors and technology solution providers. The goal is to facilitate exchanges and enable commercial registers to adopt numerical innovations adapted to their needs more quickly.
Economic Implications
The modernization of the RNE is expected to have direct economic implications. Complete digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence are intended to improve access to information, strengthen the transparency of commercial operations, and reduce the risk of fraud. These developments could also strengthen the confidence of investors and financial institutions, contributing to Tunisia's attractiveness as a regional economic hub.
