Bouchouareb: “Setting of 2017 imported vehicle quota to be determined shortly”

Several sectors of activity will shortly carry out assessments to determine the quantitative quota of vehicle imports for the year 2017, said Sunday in Algiers the Minister of Industry and Mines Abdesselem Bouchouareb.

“The quota for 2016 was set for 2017 and the working group (comprising the areas of Trade, Industry and Finance) will meet to make assessments and put forth proposals to the relevant departments, (ie departments commerce and Industry, “) said Mr. Bouchouareb on the sidelines of the opening of the regular 2016/2017 parliamentary session of the National People’s Assembly.

Asked whether that imported vehicle quota was up or down from that of 2016, he said simply: “I can’t apprise you yet on the matter because we must first conduct the assessment of the year 2016 before setting the 2017 quota”.

Initially set at 152,000 units for the year 2016, the quantitative import quota of vehicles was eventually scaled down to 83,000 units.

The contingent of vehicles concerns those for the transport of ten or more persons (including the driver), passenger cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons (including the type of cars “break” and racing cars) and vehicles dedicated to the transport of goods.

Units such as trucks and tractors that some professionals see as important to the operation of their business are not covered by the licensing system.

According to forecasts from the Trade Ministry, the import bill of vehicles does not exceed one (1) billion US Dollars in 2016, against 3.14 billion usd (265,523 vehicles) in 2015 and $ 5.7 billion in 2014 (417 913 units).

Alongside the issue of import licenses granted last May to 40 dealers in 80 applicants, the Government required dealers to make investments in the vehicles sector and related industrial sectors.

Replying to another question about the progress of the Peugeot project in Algeria, Mr Bouchouareb assured that the project “is duly taking its course” without giving further details.

The Minister had already said, in mid-July, that the role of the Algerian government was “to bring together the opinions of the three partners” involved and that the “most complicated” phase of the project was, in this sense, overtaken.

Like the Renault plant, the Peugeot project whose agreement has not been signed will be established  in the locality of El Hamoul under the municipality of Oued Tlélat in Oran (western Algeria).

In November 2015, Mr. Bouchouareb announced that Peugeot had to settle in Algeria with its subsidiary Faurecia to meet their outsourcing needs.

He then asserted that both the Algerian and French sides had agreed that the new plant will manufacture four (4) models with a pick-up type utility vehicle in a first phase.