The present information dissemination strategy is focused on electronic dissemination of INS work. At present, downloadable publications concern general themes. All publications are also available in paper format and can be ordered at the sales department. INS also offers other services to the public and to various categories of users: assistance to exporters, answers to electronic and paper mail, methodological support to public institutions and organizations in conducting surveys or elaborating studies etc.

Publications:

Most publications are paper based, however since 2000, INS has progressively introduced publication on CD-Rom apart from webcasting. This trend will be reinforced or even generalized for all INS publications. Publications are listed in the Publication Catalogue.

•  Monthly Online Bulletin

•  Statistics Directory of Tunisia

•  Major Statistical Indicators on Tunisia (leaflet)

Documentation and Statistical Information Center.

The documentation and statistical information center provides various services to different categories of statistical information users. It includes:

• Information division: To answer statistical information requests.
• Exporters assistance bureau: Its mission consists in informing the operators about Tunisia’s foreign exchanges. For this purpose, the foreign trade data base is presented in detail according to the codes 2, 4 and 10 of the harmonized coding system. Results are released on a monthly basis (quantity, value, country) and allow to examine the tendencies related to the exchanges with a given country or a given product and to determine the trade balance with the concerned country.The user can directly contact the bureau or send a request by standard mail or email.

• INS publications sales bureau: INS publications purchase can be done directly at the Institute’s headquarters or by correspondence whether within the country or from abroad. Besides, the sales can be done with a monthly subscription and this is only valid for the publication of the monthly statistical bulletin.

• The library: The library collects all the documents produced by INS. These documents include data on censuses, demographic social and economic surveys carried out by INS, statistics on foreign trade and various INS activities. Data collection on censuses goes back to 1926 and that of directories back to 1946. The library also has a varied collection of statistical publications and periodical bulletins of foreign countries and international organizations. The library also provides the public with more than 2,500 references and about 300 regular and specific bulletins. It is open to the public on office working hours. At the regional level, INS provides the public with a reading room within each regional department.