“Prospective and Statistics”: New strategy to complete the FIVE-YEAR program

Algeria’s recent reforms which aimed to develop the country seem to beemerging with Sellal’s government, who declared that his firstobjective is completing the five-year program using intelligentsolutions.

Newly appointed, Secretary of State to the Prime Minister in charge of
Prospective and Statistics, has already identified his goals in order
to avoid the errors of the past, and create a new era of accurate
development.

Professor Bachir Messaitfa said he wants to overcome urgently, the
problems that are pending or that exist in the field.

“I think we should immediately investigate whether the objectives that
have been set in the program of the President of the Republic have
been achieved or not. An initial assessment is needed in this
direction since the program covers the period 2010-2014, it has
therefore already started more than two years ago, now there must be a
stop to measure and describe the objectives in various sectors. Once
this first step is completed, we will find out if there are problems
or obstacles, which must be considered to move safely in the execution
of the rest of the program. It is only from there, that we will
complete the program using intelligent solutions”, he added.

Messaitfa proposed the method of “diagnosis” with regard to the
program of upgrading companies that have not achieved much results of
progress; “In three years, we were unable to exceed 6% of the
performance of programs that have been planned for the benefit of
20,000 SMEs. if we continue at the same pace, we will not reach 50% by
2014.”

Expert in economics, Mr. Messaitfa does not discourage and offers
concrete solutions; “We can catch up and accelerate the pace by
providing solutions to cumbersome and bureaucratic delays. Developed
nations emerge by resolving their problems.”

“We need to facilitate the administrative procedures, to reduce first
the required file of managers who want to upgrade their companies. I
think that it is not necessary to impose, for example, providing an
overview of three years of their activities, but just of six months or
three months only.Another essential element in resolving problems is
upon receipt and acceptance of an application, the decision must be
immediate, to allow the company to implement its program without any
delay”, he explained.

Messaitfa explains “THE PROSPECTIVE AND STATISTICS”

Expertise is also enshrined in the vision of our party “as imperative
if it was not here, we can look elsewhere, with foreign offices that
have large and good experience.”

As a member of government, Messaitfa takes the example of his
colleague in housing and construction, thinking that to save time and
efficiency, he did not hesitate to call on foreign manufacturers,
other than Chinese to complete the housing programs that have not been
yet achieved.

These approaches to find solutions to the recurring problems that
should certainly be included in the “road map” with the strategy of
the Prospective and Statistics that the Secretary of State has
prepared to perform his duties.

Mr. Messaitfa refused to provide details because, he says, “The
strategy is at the level of the General Secretariat of Government, we
can speak about it when it is adopted, and signed on this month of
November. The elements of the strategy in question are included in the
duties of our office. Prof. Prospective and Statistics are both
included even if the NOS, and was attached to the Ministry of Finance.
It is a positive attachment because technically, the functions of
members of the government are interdependent and complementary. The
National Office of Statistics is an Executive instrument, if attached
to Finance, it will always be subject to our observations, like all
other sectors.”

“PLAN” FOR THE PROBLEM of Development

Messaitfa presents his “portfolio” as “a think-thank which must give
its opinion on the operating policies (budget, housing, agriculture,
employment …), and therefore must determine the strategic aspect of
the design of these policies.

He defends the approach that should be in accordance with guidelines
that are drawn from the studies to be developed; “We are interested to
the Chinese methodology in the field, in order to have reliable data,
which will at the same time put an end to the controversy over the
macroeconomic figures including (unemployment, inflation, growth …).

“Problems at this level are institutional. This is a problem of
methods and formulas that must be specified according to universal
standards and techniques. In my opinion the government uses “
Prospective and Statistics “as work items, where necessary and
important, this is why they are attached to the prime minister.

He already, and for this purpose aims to “establish a unified database
statistics that should show that at all institutions and sectors, to
make national and non-sectoral references” .

He recognizes that the task is neither easy nor simple because it
requires “a thorough and comprehensive intersectoral work at central,
regional and local levels”, which is a challenge to him and why not he
a challenge that he wants to meet; “In my opinion, it is necessary to
create directions for Prospective and Statistics in the different
wilayas and regions for the processing of collected data, for the
purpose of translating it to figures, without foregeting that the
human and material resources are needed. “