A meeting of the Council of Ministers was held today, Sunday, under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defense Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Below is the council’s full statement:
Today, Sunday, February 13, 2022, the President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defense Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune chaired a cabinet meeting devoted to examining and monitoring the national water desalination program, supplying the national market with foodstuffs, and a presentation on how to boost electrical industries.
After the opening of the session by the President of the Republic, and after listening to the presentation of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance on the outcome of the government’s activity in the last two weeks, the Mediator of the Republic presented his periodic report on the development of the status of the outstanding investment projects during the last weeks, including the following:
- Lifting restrictions on 15 new investment projects.
- Entry into operation of 44 other projects.
- This allowed the creation of 2,680 new jobs in the sectors of industry, agriculture, tourism and services, while the number of jobs created after lifting restrictions on 647 projects would reach 43,000.
After that, the President of the Republic issued the following orders, directives and instructions:
- Continuing the pace of work, to count the stalled projects, and to overcome the obstacles besetting them until the problems relating to 915 projects are completely resolved.
Concerning supplying the national market with products of large consumption:
- An order to freeze all taxes and fees, starting from today, until further notice, especially fees included in the 2022 Finance Law on some foodstuffs.
- Abolition of all taxes and fees on e-commerce, individual mobile phones, IT tools intended for individual use, the startups, and the limitation to the currently regulated tariffs.
- The President ordered the government to take all actions and measures to avoid the effects of the staggering rise in prices in international markets on citizens during the current year, until they are stabilized.
- The President ordered the holding of a coordination meeting between the services of the Minister of Commerce and representatives of the security services, to set a tight strategy to immediately curb the smuggling of widely consumed foodstuffs across all national borders, which incurred great losses to the national market and economy.
- The state undertakes to cover the difference in prices for products destined for citizens by the Algerian Professional Office of Cereals, on account of the high international prices.
- Increasing control over subsidies in the agricultural and livestock sectors, in a way that serves price stability for the benefit of citizens.
Regarding the National Water Desalination Program:
- Re-examining, evaluating and determining the real daily consumption of drinking water, provided that the study is carried out within one month, for each of the provinces of the Algiers, Oran and Constantine, with the aim of resetting the ceiling of production and distribution, since the current real indicative figure, which is exaggerated, reaches in the capital one million and 250 thousand cubic meters for four million citizens.
- The President ordered to work, as quickly as possible, to provide all real estate capabilities and appropriate conditions, in order to complete the projects of the five seawater desalination plants which had been planned in previous meetings of the Council of Ministers.
- Establishing a new water distribution plan that ensures regular supply, starting from the holy month of Ramadan, and in anticipation of the summer season.
Regarding the boosting of the electrical industries:
- The President ordered the Minister of Industry to immediately start a census of producers in the provinces that witness a strong industrial movement, in coordination with the governors of the republic, and a national inventory, to be done within one month, of all specialties, types and nature of electrical products in Algeria, with the aim of preventing the import of all locally manufactured products.
- Working according to an industrial policy that guarantees the needs of the national market first, and exports second.
- The necessity of continuous coordination between the sectors of industry, energy and trade, to elaborate an integrated national strategy for the boosting of the electrical industry.
- To stop definitively the export of iron waste, starting from the end of next March, and directing it to the national market to support the industry, pending the regulation of the market, according to a deep study of exports and imports in this field.
The Council of Ministers also approved a memorandum of understanding between Algeria and Mauritania, to complete the land road linking the Algerian city of Tindouf and the Mauritanian city of Zouerate, signed in Algeria on December 28, 2021.
Before concluding the session, the Council of Ministers approved a number of individual decisions related to appointment and termination of tasks in senior positions in the state.
