PM Sellal: “There Will Be No Wage Increase, No Employment”

Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal, ruled out any scenario about reviewing the Algerians’ wages.

“Financial situation of the country cannot accept more spending, decision to freeze hiring is the same, and the pre-retirement decision will not be cancelled. We admitted the troubles and difficulties for the delivery of housing projects, and we warn of the attempts of political manipulation in the file of retirement. The state will not tolerate those who try to exploit religion or language to destabilize the country. Parties that are interested in the next electoral deadlines should make of the economic file the fuel of their campaigns”.

Sellal commented on the ministers of sectors that are relied upon to be the alternative to the oil sector, and actors within the open debate at the government’s meeting with governors, in the Palais des Nations, on Saturday, gave answers to a number of files, and asserted the need to maintain the sovereignty of the national economic decision in light of the financial difficulties of the country, because of the worsening oil prices.

“Financial situation of the country requires to maintain the independence of economic decision, because it is the engine that governs the political decision”.

Sellal tried to reassure public opinion after the news of the approval of the African Development Bank to lend nearly $ 1 billion to Algeria, and he said: “Government can not allow the debt to reach major levels due to the threat that this poses to the future generations”, and he asked everyone to stay away from blackening the situation, and stated a set of files adding: “No to lift the freeze on hiring, nor on wage increase over the medium term, and we will not retreat from the decision to drop the pre-retirement and proportional retirement”.

“Management’s budget does not allow the adoption of increases in wages, and the budget of processing cannot be touched”, acknowledging that the financial situation is threatening the residential projects

“Algerian companies are unable to complete the housing projects, and our situation cannot allow us to resort to foreign companies. The continuation of the pension system as it is, will make us unable to pay the pensions of Algerians”.

“We have only one way, investment and economic growth, and here we stood at 51/49% base that controls the foreign investment in Algeria which devoted the sovereignty of Algeria’s economy, and despite the criticism against it, but everyone works according to it”.

“The year 2017 will be difficult, and needs to upgrade the economic resources and search for new resources, through the activation of local authorities at the municipal and provincial levels, and territories as well”.