Algerian authorities refuse power price increase

The electricity and gas company general manger, Noureddine Bouterfa Tuesday ruled out any prices’ revision till 2013 arguing that the company’s investments projects’ revenues will offset the consumption’s coats linked to the national demand.

• M. Bouterfa’s declarations come in total contradiction with his previous statements during which he revealed that the increasing demand of energy will hamper the company’s future prospects, if not cushioned by a price increase in parallel.
• This U-Turn can only be explained by the sharp opposition expressed by the Algerian authorities to allow any revision that will add to the citizens’ doldrums especially that this increases coincide with others concerning basic foodstuffs.
• On the other hand the general manager pointed at the various power outages that hit several regions of the country since a week, arguing this inconvenience was caused by shutting out of three high tension pillars, adding that the situation will return to normalcy very soon.