8,329 Imported Cars Entered Algeria Within 75 Days!

The car import bill during the period between January 1 and March 15, 2021 – that is, a period of 75 days – exceeded 29 billion dinars, and Algerian ports received 8,329 vehicles imported through the form of Mujahid or war veteran licenses and commercial records, as well as members of the community from the category of citizens who changed residence from abroad, knowing that these operations excluded car dealerships which have not benefited up to the hour from any final import license.

According to official data secured by “Echorouk” the Algerian customs services recorded the import of 8,329 vehicles, and this during the period from January 1 to March 15 of this year, with a value of 29 billion, 387 million, 175 thousand and 29 679 Algerian dinars.

Among these vehicles, 7,668 vehicles were imported under the privileges granted to the Mujahideen category and rightsholders, with a value of 25 billion, 941 million, 251 thousand and 139 dinars, and 255 vehicles for personal use with payment of the rights and customs duties due, with an import value of 497 million 580 thousand and 359 dinars, and this during the same period mentioned above.

In addition, 215 vehicles were imported within the framework of changing the residence of citizens, with a value of 565 million, 956 thousand and 86 dinars during the same period, and 177 vehicles were imported by persons holding commercial records, to be used in the framework of their commercial activities, with a value of 2 billion 347 million 757 thousand and 624 dinars and 14 vehicles under the regulations worth 34 million, 630 thousand and 471, always during the same previous period.

The prices of renting a Mujahid license have risen sharply in recent days, as they are in circulation between 50 and 100 million centimes, after they did not exceed thirty million centimes during the past months, and this is due to the strong demand for them by those wishing to import cars without paying the rights and customs fees.

This comes at a time when the pictures of imported vehicles and cars circulating on Facebook pages and other social media sites have sparked off controversy among citizens, asking about the value and size of imported cars, especially since the import activity is still frozen up to the present time, as the technical committees installed by the Ministry of Industry are still examining the study of import licenses, while its activities are still continuing and no final licenses have been released to date, while the number of initial import licenses is equivalent to 9 licenses granted last February.

To this effect, the book of conditions for the import activity imposed many burdens that the car dealers deemed cruel and had nothing to do with improving the quality of the vehicle. They also criticized the book of specifications approved by the former Minister of Industry Farhat Ait Ali, describing it as unfair, especially with regard to the clause of owning an area for display, storage and sale of up to 6 thousand meters. At a time when the total number of imported vehicles will not exceed 150,000 cars, due to the fact that the government has suspended the import quota for agents by two billion dollars as a maximum.

The current minister, Mohamed Bacha, has not yet decided on the import file, as the minister is currently studying a number of important and strategic files for the development of the industrial sector, such as public institutions and the investment law, improving the business climate, developing various industrial branches, and preserving government-owned complexes.