The state will not abandon its social role, said Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri Namsia at a plenary session held on Saturday to discuss the state budget and the 2024 finance law. Answering questions from MPs on behalf of Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, Namsia said the government is working to create a social state so that citizens can benefit from social, health, transport and education services. All ministries are currently focusing on implementing programmes to increase employability and support vulnerable groups, she added. The Minister also recalled the efforts made by the Ministry of Social Affairs to take care of low-income groups, whether through direct cash transfers, short-term grants or aid in kind. The government had simplified financing procedures through guarantees and promoted social solidarity investments to encourage entrepreneurship, she added. The Ministry of Employment has also drawn up a new national strategy based on promoting the economic empowerment and private initiative of vulner able groups, particularly through the development of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) and community enterprises. For its part, the Ministry of Youth and Sport has joined the Fund for Youth and Employment launched by the United Nations on June 16. This fund, the first of its kind in the world, aims to promote employability and support unemployed young people, she pointed out. Namsia went on to say that the Ministry of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly has implemented a number of programmes aimed at empowering women in rural areas and encouraging women and girls to participate in private initiatives. She called on citizens to help the state overcome its financial difficulties by promoting a culture of hard work and showing patriotism by rationalising consumption and protecting national gains. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse