1960: Creation of a National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale – CNSS) [Law No. 60-30 of 14 December 1960]

The National Social Security Fund was established by Law No. 60-30 on 14 December 1960 to extend social insurance coverage to employees of the private sector, namely in the industry, trade, and services sectors. This law concerns the organisation of the general social security scheme targeting non-agriculture employees (Régime des Salariés non agricoles – RSNA). It covers sickness, death, and family allowances. At its establishment, the CNSS regime only gave access to public health care facilities, as well as to a network of polyclinics created by the CNSS.

During the mandate of President Bourguiba (1956-1987) some extensions of the law were made to target specific categories of the population:

• 1965: Extension of CNSS health coverage and family allowances to students.
• 1974: the elderly, disabled individuals, and survivors’ pension scheme introduced in the CNSS system.
• 1981: extension of CNSS coverage to full-time agricultural labourers.
• 1982: extension of CNSS to self-employed agricultural and non-agricultural workers.
• 1989: Extension of CNSS to Tunisian workers abroad who are not covered by a social security agreement.