Algerian President Affirms to Continue Subsidizing Consumed Products

President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune gave Tuesday, in a meeting of the Council of ministers, instructions to ensure the availability of the widely consumed products in the national market, said the Council’s statement. As regards the follow-up of the availability of widely consumed products in the national market, “the President of the Republic gave instructions to the minister of Agriculture to take deterrent and drastic measures to clean up the sector,” said the source.

The President affirmed that “the government will continue subsidizing the prices of several imported basic products and banning any operation to import legumes, outside the Algerian inter-professional Office of Cereals (OAIC), while accurately fixing the product price phases.”

The President of the Republic gave orders to “authorize the exclusive importation of fresh red and white meat to meet the national needs and contribute to the reduction of their prices,” said the source. He stressed the importance of “encouraging the private investment in terms of cold rooms to maintain the market balance during the year.”

“The President of the Republic instructed the Government to purchase the farmers’ products to prevent their deterioration, as part of the creation of the National Office of Agricultural Products, and to stock them in the cold rooms.” President Tebboune also instructed to “preserve the strategic national stock of agricultural products and foodstuffs,” according to the source.

He also ordered to “develop a clear communication policy to periodically and continuously inform the citizens about the availability of different widely consumed commodities, in order to ban the use of the two words “shortage” and “speculation,” which aim to create a climate of panic in the national market, while allowing big international brands to enter the market,” said the source.