The amount of tax evasion in the production and trade of alcoholic beverages in Tunisia would reach 1.8 billion dinars (MD), according to Ali Khelifi, head of the Brigade of Investigations and the Fight against Tax Evasion, known as the Tax Police.
Bars, cafes and nightclubs in the viewfinder
In a statement to the TAP agency, Khelifi specified that 500 MD specifically concerns the activity of bar-restaurants.
Inspections carried out in several tourist establishments and nightclubs located in Lac, Gammarth and La Soukra made it possible to identify a tax shortfall estimated at 90 MD, linked to manipulation of turnover and undeclared sales. Control operations, he added, continue throughout the sector.
Online commerce under surveillance
The brigade’s action goes beyond the alcoholic beverages sector alone. According to Khelifi, e-commerce investigations revealed an estimated transaction volume of 1,700 MD, involving 7,596 online sellers without tax IDs.
Other sectors have also been targeted: private clinics, doctors, drug wholesalers, car dealerships, supermarkets and insurance companies.
The brigade, created in October 2017 and operational since January 2018, reports to the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) and acts under the supervision of attorneys general.
Khelifi indicated that the workforce increased from 17 investigators in 2023 to 40 currently, notable progress but still insufficient “in the face of existing challenges”. He called for strengthening human capital in order to improve the coverage and responsiveness of control missions.
The head of the Tax Police insisted on scrupulous respect for the law and the rights of taxpayers. “Our goal is to build a strong and fair administration, capable of protecting public revenue while ensuring transparency and tax justice,” he concluded.
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