Quantities of imported wheat inflated in Algiers Port to smuggle hard currency

Confidential report by the Grains’ Cooperatives Union in Algiers Port, which is directed to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the various security services and the Teams of Economic Investigation at the National Gendarmerie, uncovered a serious crime against the National Economy, since a long time, because the head of granaries of Algiers Port, decided to replace the device for measuring the load of imported wheat of 75 kg capacity with the device of 78 kgs, which is inconsistent with the law that specified devices and methods for measuring loads of imported grains, including hard and soft wheat, barley, as the legislation in force for measuring the imported wheat with the standard weight is less than 77 kg.

Manipulation of devices of measuring the imported grain allows the smuggling of large amounts of hard currency to abroad, in each importation of both types of wheat, soft or hard, especially after Algeria has become among the top three grain importers in the world.

Algeria’s imports of grain reached last year 10.2 million tons, of which 7 million tonnes of wheat, of both types, soft and hard, and 3 million tons of grain that is destined for the production of animal feed.

The report, which Echorouk obtained a copy of it, showed the import billing of wheat and determining the qualitative weight, and conducting analyzes that do not fall within the powers of the Union of Grains Cooperatives at Algiers’ Port. Which reveals the bad intentions of the parties behind the process in order to inflate the wheat import bills and transfer large amounts which exceed he true value of import operations.

Grain imports reached last year about three billion dollars, as they imported quantities reached 10.2 million tons for the first time, an unprecedented level in theory, but the report, which is available to Echorouk, raises a real controversy about the actual real quantities that were imported after manipulation and fraud reached even quantities of grain that is important by the country.

According to the report, which copy is available to Echorouk, the agreement that is signed between the Algerian Grains’ Professional Office and various countries that are exporting wheat that states on random samples of wheat of both types, soft and hard, in every 500 metric tons, in the presence of the representative of the state.