Transport
From The Report: Algeria 2015
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New capital projects, from upgraded port facilities to multi-lane motorways and underground metros, have been a hallmark of Algeria’s transport sector in recent years. While bottlenecks persist – including an over-reliance on road transport and limited rail connectivity – generous public spending on transport infrastructure, largely funded by oil and gas revenues, has ensured continuous development in the sector since the early 2000s. Private investment has taken a leading role in the transport and communications sectors, accounting for 83.5% of total spending in 2014 and contributing €14.2bn to GDP, up from €8.6bn in 2010 and €7.6bn in 2008. While the sharp decline in hydrocarbons revenues since 2014 is leading the government to re-evaluate spending priorities, it appears to remain committed to maintaining capital investment in transport. The government’s latest five-year plan, which accounts for the 2015-19 period, allocates AD832.7bn (€7.7bn) to the transport sector, ensuring significant continued development of transportation networks in the coming years. This chapter contains interviews with Boudjema Talai, Minister of Transport; and Yacine Bendjaballah, CEO, National Company for Rail Transport.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Modernisation route: Capital investment to boost transport infrastructure continues despite lower hydrocarbons revenues
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New capital projects, from upgraded port facilities to multi-lane motorways to underground metros, have been a hallmark of Algeria’s transport sector in recent years. While bottlenecks persist – including an over-reliance on road transport and limited rail connectivity – generous public spending on transport infrastructure, largely funded by oil and gas revenues, has ensured continuous development in the segment since the early 2000s. According to the Ministry of Transport (MoT), in the period…

Interview

Moving forward: OBG talks to Boudjema Talai, Minister of Transport
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Interview:Boudjema Talai What are the main objectives of the Ministry of Transport for the next five years? BOUDJEMA TALAI: Restructuring and reorganisation are listed as key priorities, and in the short term the goal is rapid and coherent transport development. The state shareholding management companies will shift to a more modern mode of operational management with the aim of creating growth, revenue and employment. The commercial sector will be reorganised into groups according to purpose.…

Analysis

Urban connections: A series of urban transport projects are set to provide welcome relief to traffic congestion issues
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With a fast-growing population, rising congestion and densely-populated urban areas, developing solutions for transport has become a necessity in several Algerian cities. Since 2003 the government has been working to implement a vast and ambitious urban transport development programme, with a total cost of nearly €9bn. Despite budgetary constraints prompted by the decline in hydrocarbons revenues, a series of planned and ongoing projects are set to significantly improve urban transport in the capital…

Interview

Riding the rails: OBG talks to Yacine Bendjaballah, CEO, National Company for Rail Transport (SNTF)
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Interview:Yacine Bendjaballah How are strategies to develop and revitalise the rail sector affecting Algeria’s infrastructure? YACINE BENDJABALLAH: It is important to make passengers love the train again, and for the voice of the user to be paramount. We have major efforts to undertake, but we are hoping to make taking the train easy and comfortable. As of 2014 we have transported 32.7m passengers. With our current investments to expand networks and make rail travel easier, we hope to achieve…

Analysis

All aboard: Expansion of the railway network will enable it to play a larger role in overland transport
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In order to improve transport across Algeria’s vast territory, the railway system has been a priority in successive government development plans. In the period from 2010-14, €294.4m was allocated to the development and modernisation of railway infrastructure. The government’s current five-year plan for the transport sector – a AD832.7bn (€7.7bn) programme which will run from end-2014 through 2019 – places renewed emphasis on rail transport, with plans including a significant expansion…