Algeria: customs and sale commissioners in conflict for 10,000 containers

A total of 10,000 containers carrying goods including ones which are out of date are held in different ports in Algeria, according to Salim Saadi, president of the National Chamber of Sale Commissioners.

Salim Saadi told Echorouk that the national customs administration faces the problem of getting rid of the containers which embody billions. “They can be beneficial for public treasury.”

 He added that the national customs administration exercises monopoly though there are many management crises in the sale of containers.

“Those containers can be sold in less than 4 months by sale commissioners.”

The president of the National Chamber of Sale Commissioners said the national customs administration with all its human and physical equipments can not manage the sale at auction.

 He mentioned that sale commissioners are facing many problems and call on justice ministry to review the law on their profession.

“They asked the director of the national customs to intervene in the process of the containers sale but no answer was made.”

 According to him, the number of sale commissioners is estimated at 320 who are appointed by the justice ministry through a national contest.

“The new law on the sale commissioners’ profession has reduced their missions to no more than sellers.”

Earlier, the national customs administration fixed March 17 and 18th to sell over 700 containers at auction in order to reduce pressure on Algeria’s ports which were turned into a wasteland of containers.

 According to sources close to Algiers’ port, some 300 containers pose danger to workers’ lives due to rotten products inside them.