Algeria blacklisted Canadian SNC Lavalin
Algerian government put the Canadian company SNC Lavalin in the black list of companies that are banned from participating in the tenders of accomplishing projects that are funded by government, after it confirmed implication in corruption that obliged the World Bank to classify it in the black list for ten years.
World Bank decision is a powerful background for the Algerian authorities in preventing the Canadian company from participating in the infrastructural projects in Algeria, as the public companies and the national committee for deals were notified to prevent the Canadian company from participating in the public tenders for ten years until the issuance of another decision.
Algeria is considered a key market for the company in the MENA region since the eighties, where it accomplished a lot of projects like Makam (martyr’s monument) in Algiers, and projects in the field of public works, dams and roads.
Canadian SNC Lavalin published a statement to the Algerian public opinion, in which it called the Government to end the page of accusing it of corruption, announcing its readiness to participate in the public projects in sectors like energy, transport and water resources.
SNC Lavalin declared that the administrative council should close a dramatic page of the large company which history back to 102 years, but without forgetting the lessons that are learned from it, asserting complete readiness to work with the Algerian authorities, in all the investigation to which it is related.
Canadian company recognised in the statement which it published in Algiers, that it understands that some investigations reach tough results, but they are necessary to stand on the problems, and to oblige officials to take responsibility of their acts, adding that the administrative council is committed to bring any person implicated in illegal activities before justice.
World Bank decision coincides with the visit of the Vice-President of the bank to the MENA region, Inger Andersen, and Algeria to meet the PM Abdelmalek Sellal and ministers in his cabinet.