Meeting the country’s growing transport needs remains a priority, thus the national development plan 2015-19 allocates €6bn to upgrading, modernising and expanding air, rail, road and maritime capacities. Foreign investment is actively being sought to incorporate the latest technologies and know-how into the modernisation process. However, efforts to expand the sector face some challenges, such…
The high food import bill, a growing population and effects from climate change are behind Algeria’s drive to increase local food output. Food production improved between 2007 and 2018 thanks to efforts to clear some of the obstacles that have traditionally hindered the sector’s development, such as financing, legislation, insufficient infrastructure and land ownership. While the record cereals…
The industrial sector is seen as having potential to drive economic diversification and reduce the import bill. In addition to heavy industrial subsectors such as steel and cement, pharmaceuticals, agri-business and automotive manufacturing hold promise in becoming key exporters. For the sector as a whole, and particularly for small businesses, investment in logistics and transport capacities will…
Despite being rich in fossil fuels, Algeria faces challenges in its utilities sector in terms of distribution and efficiency. While the provision of electricity is a non-issue – though sustainable generation notably is – the rate of household connections to the natural gas network is in need of improvement, especially outside major cities. Drinking water is largely secure, yet business needs are…
The steep fall of oil prices in 2014 underlined the extent to which the Algerian economy, already under pressure from growing domestic demand for energy and decreasing output, was dependent on hydrocarbons. Algeria is now facing the challenges of reforming and revitalising this strategic sector and, through state-owned energy company Sonatrach and its SH2030 Leading the Change strategy, is giving shape…
The decision by authorities to embark on a programme of monetary financing towards the end of 2017 marked somewhat of a turnaround in a difficult year for Algeria’s banks. A competitive dynamic has remained in recent years, with no new entrants, exits, mergers, acquisitions or privatisations of note. Efforts to improve financial inclusion are under way, however, attempts to grow the banking sector…
As Africa’s most important gas exporter, Algeria remains highly dependent on the hydrocarbons sector for the majority of government revenues and almost the entirety of its exports. Despite reforms to encourage private sector development, promote diversification and attract foreign direct investment in recent years, the state plays a preponderant role, meaning that expenditure and investments continue…
Since achieving independence in 1962, Algeria has pursued an activist foreign policy, pushing interests of developing countries through the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as in groups like the G-77. Algeria holds close trading links with its Mediterranean neighbours to the north, and is an important source of EU natural gas imports, particularly to France, Spain and Italy. The country has greatly increased…
Africa has undergone significant changes since the turn of the century thanks to structural and policy reforms, promises to unlock the continent’s economic fortunes and higher levels of foreign investment. As a result of that, Africa has witnessed significant economic expansion, rising foreign direct investment (FDI) levels, and major improvements in a number of social indicators from schooling to…
