Zemali: Ansej will only fund profitable projects

General Director of the National Agency for Youth’s Support and Employment (ANSEJ) Mourad Zemali said expenses optimization policy will not touch Ansej projects. “Small enterprises will be the ideal solution to create diversified economy not relying on hydrocarbons in a big way. All the economically successful countries relied on small enterprises such as China, India, Indonesia and Italy,” he told Echorouk.

“From now on, Ansej will fund only profitable projects at the economic and services level.

“Young people will be orientated to projects which create wealth like industry, agriculture, information and communication technologies. We want to import less goods,” he added.

He also said the agency stopped funding some projects such as hairdressing salon in Algiers. “Priority now is for modern beauty shops.”

Speaking about money spent by the Public Treasury on Ansej project, Zemali said the State does not spend a lot of money because applicants will have to give back their debts.

“In 2014, Ansej funded more than 2,000 small enterprises using money recovered from debts. A total of 3,000 small enterprises will be funded in 2015,” he added.

Zemali said he is sorry for rumors about “Ansej’s failure” and the absence of surveillance.

“70 percent of the money is not received cash. Everything is done between the bank and the funder in terms of buying devices. Ansej keeps watch on the project a month after it starts,” he added.