Algerian Government Speeds UP Procedures Of Passing The Controversial Energy Law

Algerian government accelerates the process of passing the controversial energy bill by instructing the National People Assembly’s Economic Committee to accelerate its date on November 15 for discussion, but the change in the agenda of the Economic Commission caused chaos in the lower chamber of parliament.

Members of the Economic Committee of the National People’s Assembly were surprised to schedule the hydrocarbons bill for public debate for November 5, while the public vote was set for November,15, which was considered by opposition MPs a circumvent of their demand to give the members of the committee enough time to study and scrutinize the bill as they said.

According to Echorouk sources, the change in the agenda of the Economic Commission has caused chaos within the Council, where the opposition MPs represented in the Movement of Society for Peace withdrew its representatives within the Economic Committee in protest against the acceleration of the program of the voting session on the draft law because the large majority of MPs reject the bill at this time.

According to the Council’s agenda, the Economic Committee will continue to hear the experts as previously agreed, while it will begin to study the provisions of this law on November 3, to be prepared and distributed to the House of Representatives in November,4.

The discussion of the draft law on hydrocarbons will begin in a public session on November,5, in addition to opening the door for the deposit of amendments to MPs on the same day, and then the Bureau of the Council will begin to study the amendments of MPs on November,6, and forward it to the Economic Committee, which will be studied by its members on November 7, provided that the supplementary report will be prepared within three days until the law is presented to the MPs for voting in a plenary session on November, 14.

This comes at a time when Sonatrach’s President and General Director, Rachid Hachichi, told the Economic Commission that Algeria is in dire need of the new hydrocarbons law, considering that the current hydrocarbons law has a negative impact on Algerian economy.

Hachichi said in the parliament session that the new hydrocarbons law authorizes Sonatrach to grant partnership licenses with the approval of the acting president.

On the criticism of the draft, the first official of Sonatrach called on Algerians to check out the draft law before criticizing because it carries – with it – according to him – all the answers to their questions.

Previously, the council has scheduled, in its agenda for the draft financial law for 2020 the date of November 5, to decide on the amendments and prepare the preliminary report, and it scheduled the public session for November 6 and 7 to discuss the draft law and to file amendments to the MPs.

The Bureau of the Council will meet on November 10 to consider the amendments and submit them to the Finance Committee and its members will meet on November 12 for a decision.

The committee will prepare the supplementary report on November 13 and distribute it to the MPs.