From next January, the payment of road traffic tax, vignette, will enter a new era in Tunisia. The Ministry of Finance has confirmed the possibility of paying this circulation tax electronically for all vehicles and motorcycles, while maintaining the traditional payment from finance revenues. But beyond the diversification of payment methods, it is above all the definitive disappearance of the sticker affixed to the windshield which marks a profound change in the relationship between the administration and the user.
According to Aziza Ben Salem, general director of public accounting and collection at the Ministry of Finance, this reform is part of a global approach to modernizing payment methods and simplifying administrative procedures. Concretely, the taxpayer will now be able to choose between two options: direct payment from financial revenue or remote payment via a digital platform made available by the ministry.
This development introduces unprecedented flexibility for motorists, who will be able to pay the sticker at any time, without the constraints of administrative schedules or physical travel. However, the ministry insists that digitalization does not come at the expense of in-person payment, which remains accessible for citizens unfamiliar with digital tools.
But the most significant measure remains the definitive abandonment of the automobile sticker, commonly known as a “sticker”, whether linked to an electronic payment or made on site. From now on, no physical evidence will be affixed to the windshield of vehicles, putting an end to an administrative practice anchored for decades.
Transition from visual control logic to digital traceability logic
This deletion raises several issues. On a symbolic level, it reflects the transition from a logic of visual control to a logic of digital traceability, based on centralized and interconnected databases. On a practical level, it involves an adaptation of control mechanisms, particularly for law enforcement, who will have to rely on computerized systems rather than a simple sticker.
For the tax administration, the end of the sticker also makes it possible to reduce printing, distribution and management costs, while limiting the risks of fraud or falsification. For citizens, it puts an end to the constraints linked to the conservation and affixing of the label, often a source of inconvenience.
It now remains to observe how this transition will be implemented on the ground, particularly in terms of control and effective access to the digital platform. Because if the disappearance of the sticker marks a notable step towards dematerialization, its success will depend on the reliability of digital systems and the ability of the administration to support users in this change.
