Prefects to receive people once a week

Algerian interior minister Taib Belaiz gave an instruction all the prefects to receive people and listen to their concerns once a week and mayors in southern provinces to accomplish this task.

According to sources, the instruction says that the meetings should be attended by Secretaries General and executive directors to listen to people’s social concerns such as housing crisis, unemployment and bureaucracy.

In southern provinces, local officials will receive people to listen to their complaints.

Cells will be created in municipalities and districts to follow up decisions implementation and prepare general reports to the interior ministry. This measure is meant to make administration closer to people and focus on their concerns.

This instruction comes as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika conducted reshuffle among prefects ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections.

The government wants to calm down the social situation so that the elections will be held in “normal” conditions.