7 Conditions Exclude 38 Importers of Bananas

Join Ministerial Committee, which is responsible for granting licences to import and export commodities, removed 38 economic traders from importing banana, out of 44 traders, who import these fruits from abroad, with a quota of 55,000 tons as a first stage.

Commerce Ministry said, in a statement on Tuesday, that the meeting of the Technical Committee, which was held last Sunday, resulted in the acceptance of only 6 traders to import bananas, to provide them with the specified standards, 5 private companies and a public company.

Same statement said that, after examining the applications that were filed by the economic agents who are active in the import of bananas, and which number is estimated to 44 traders to import a quota of 55,000 tons, as a first stage, it was decided to exclude 14 traders for being non-active in the import of bananas, in the past five years, including 10 traders who introduced prices that are contrary to the reference price of 650 USD/T, with the exclusion of 10 traders to display the import of small quantities and lack of storage, maturation and cooling rooms.

The Joint Commission, which includes the Commerce, Finance, Industry and Mines, and Agriculture Ministries, decided to exclude 11 traders, who do not meet the minimum objective standards and deprive 3 traders for their involvement in speculation and their presence in the speculators’ list.

It set 7 conditions for those wishing to import bananas, and this involves professional experience in the exercise of activity, which is not less than 5 years, justifying this by the fiscal revenues, and the necessity of providing the client with all the necessary means of transport and the necessary structures for storage, cooling and maturation.

Commerce Ministry also decided that all imported goods are destined for resale, and would be subject to the normal status of licensing import system, with the exception of goods with a necessary nature for citizens.

The application also includes a certificate of updating with the National Fund for Social Insurance for workers and / or the National Social Security Fund for non-employees, and a copy of the tax identification card and a questionnaire to identify the economic traders, which is filled (and can be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Commerce www.commerce.gov.dz)

Customers should attach their requests with tax returns for the last three years, documents that prove the financial capacity and storage structures, and property contracts or leases documentation on behalf of the company.