UIB Adds Interest-Free Honor Loan for Tunisia SMEs

In Short

UIB is highlighting a new interest-free “crédit sur l’honneur” for professionals and businesses in Tunisia. The loan targets investment projects and removes collateral requirements.

What Happened

Union Internationale de Banques, or Union Internationale de Banques (UIB), has published details of its “crédit sur l’honneur” financing offer for professionals and enterprises.

A “crédit sur l’honneur” is a trust-based loan, meaning the borrower commits to repay without the bank asking for traditional guarantees. On the UIB page, the bank positions it as financing for investment projects, and not day-to-day operating expenses.

UIB says the loan is offered without interest. It is also described as requiring no “sûretés” and no guarantees, which usually means no pledged assets such as property or equipment.

The amounts shown go up to 10,000 Tunisian dinars for microprojects and up to 25,000 Tunisian dinars for SMEs. SMEs are small and medium-sized enterprises, typically defined by employee count and revenue.

The page references Tunisia’s law 2024-41 and decree 2026-148 as the regulatory basis for the product. The page also shows a date of October 1, 2026.

Why It Matters

For small businesses, the biggest barrier to investment credit is often collateral. Removing interest and collateral requirements can widen access for founders who have revenue but limited assets.

For Tunisia’s banking sector, products like this may increase formal credit uptake among very small firms. It also shifts more focus to cash flow and project viability, and less to asset-backed lending.

Founders and operators should still look closely at eligibility rules, repayment timelines, and documentation. “No guarantees” does not mean “no conditions,” it usually means different risk checks and stricter use of funds controls.