200 fake building contractors behind cement crisis in Algeria

Investigations showed that the building materials' price hike in Algeria was due to fictitious building contractors behind cement trading, Echorouk has learnt from security sources.

• The 200 pretended building contractors had the priority of getting large quantities of cement they requested alleging that they were in charge of public housing projects.
• They obtained more than 18,000 tons by virtue of their fake files. That led to sharp shortage of cement in market and speculation.
• According to control teams of commerce departments in all Algeria’s provinces, the quantities which were for sale at multiplied price were coming, in most of them, from Algiers. Most of construction materials sellers were dealing with the fictitious building contractors in Algiers, Boumerdes (50 km east of Algiers) and Tizi Ouzou (100 km east of Algiers) to purchase cement.