São Paulo – The Algerian government has identified four areas to implement the national strategy for promotion of non-hydrocarbon exports, Algeria Press Service (APS) reported based on information given by deputy minister for Foreign Trade, Aïssa Bekkai (pictured above).
The segments chosen were agri-food industry, pharmaceutical products, information and communication technology produced by startups, and reposition parts. Bekkai discussed the topic during a forum in Algeria.
He said that the foreign trade expansion requires investment in the production sector, and incentive to the development of agriculture and startups focused on new technologies. But Bekkai stressed the need that this is done to change the country’s current trade balance that is still highly dependent on hydrocarbons.
The Ministry of Trade must address concerns of the exporting sector, such as financing, logistics, transport cost reduction, and strengthening of the means of product promotion. The Ministry plans on holding meetings with exporters later this month to open a direct dialogue.
According to data previously made public by Algeria’s minister of Trade, Kamel Rezig, last year Algeria made over 8,000 exporting operations, which were executed by 400 operators. Aïssa’s area was created to work under the Minister of Trade specifically to diversify exports.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda