Olfa Meriah stands, frustrated, before a smartphone shop near the capital Tunis. How can she buy a phone in instalments, she wonders, when a new banking reform has made split payments nearly impossible?

In Tunisia, where the average monthly salary hovers just around 1,000 dinars ($320), people have long relied on post-dated cheques to make purchases by paying in increments over months.

Unlike many other countries where cheques are now rarely seen in the era of instant online payments, the culture of paying by cheque persists in Tunisia.

But as part of banking reforms introduced in February the government seeks to reinforce the original role of cheques as a means of immediate payment. Cheques had effectively become a form of credit often tolerated by merchants.

Unlike debit cards, credit cards are not widely available in the north African country.

The new law officially aims at "curbing consumer debt" and "improving the business climate" in an economy whose real GDP growth, according to the International Monetary Fund, is projected at just 1.6 percent for 2025.

But many feel it has also begun disrupting household budgets and small businesses.

Ridha........

© Al Monitor