Algeria handicraft turnover to reach $5.4 billion

The turnover of the Algerian handicraft industry is expected to rise to $5.4 billion by 2020 from about $2 billion, small and middle-sized companies minister Mustapha Ben Bada said Wednesday.

• “The government officially accepted to offer physical and human means to revive the handicrafts sector,” Ben Bada told executives at the ministry in Algiers.
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• He also said the sector will employ 1 million craftsmen compared to 363,000 currently working.
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• “The ministry will conduct a study on 1,500 small and middle-sized companies in order to find solutions for funding and loan problems.”
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• Algeria will hold national sessions on handicraft industry on November 21-23rd to establish a national comprehensive strategy.
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• Ben Bada said the sessions will analyse the results made by the sector since 2003 to determine new chances, assess the ability of human resources to supervise economic operations.