The last leader before the revolution, Ben Ali, his family members, and his inner circle, all held considerably power over industries within the state.
[2][1] It is estimated that Tunisia lost more than US$1 billion per year between 2000 and 2008 due to corruption, bribery, kickbacks, trade mispricing and criminal activities.
State-owned companies or private groups owned by influential families continue to enjoy a privileged position, with close political and administrative ties and easier access to financing.
This policy was not implemented perfectly, as Prime Minister Chahed stated civil servants must request permission from superiors before publicly discussing this information.
[1] On March 20 of 2015, President Caid proposed a law that would limit the authority of the Truth and Dignity Body to address financial issue, and allow anonymity to those accused.
The bill proved wildly unpopular, and due to pressure from social groups, The National Council of the Bar Association asked for it to be overturned.
Many Tunisians have pointed out that the bill would grant amnesty to public employees and set a dangerous precedent of undermining the justice system.
[9] Corruption in Tunisia is often discussed in public and political circles of the region as being of the most prominent issues effecting the country today.
In a series of polls conducted by the International Republican Institute, corruption consistently ranked highly among the issues facing Tunisia.
[10] Addressing the steps needed to be taken by the government, many of those surveyed picked issues involving the economy and unemployment, as well as living standards.