Algeria to hold tripartite meeting on December 22nd

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal fixed the date of December 22nd to hold a tripartite meeting between the government, the General Union of Algerian Workers and public and private employer’s organizations. They will discuss the government action plan which includes the President’s five-year-program presented to Parliament in September, a government source said.

Sellal ordered all the ministries involved in the meeting to prepare related dossiers and notify social and economic partners of the event, according to the same source.

The meeting will discuss the reasons behind the delay in the implementation of the president’s program as well as facilitating procedures set by the law in favor of enterprises.

A senior official at the General Union of Algerian Workers told Echorouk the Prime Minister chose “consultations” to expose all the problems faced by national public and private enterprises and create mutual trust to transmit the government concerns to its social and economic partners.

He also said all the parts are unanimous on a frank dialogue and exposing all the problems which hinder their commitments achievement including the president’s program-related projects.

Sellal is optimistic on the forthcoming meeting and he is ready to work on improving business climate and eliminating hinders faced by Algerian enterprises on all levels including banks, customs, industrial real-estate, inputs importing and loans.

As for employers, they ask for appropriate competition conditions and implementing legal texts and legislations in a fair way.

The meeting will also discuss reasons behind Algeria’s weak economic growth estimated at 3 percent in the last ten years and the low level of national achievement capacities though Algeria invested about $500 billion during the same period.

Employers criticize the “government hesitation” to implement commitments on entrepreneurship including reduction of bureaucratic procedures faced by Algerian enterprises.

The government criticizes Algerian enterprises and accuses them of not making efforts to develop their competitiveness. It holds them partially responsible for imports invoice bill explosion which jumped to about $60 billion in 2011. Of it, $11 billion in services field and $49 billion as different products. Algeria’s food invoice bill rose to $9 billion from $1 billion in 2001.