"Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of the Republic, Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of National Defense chaired, today, a meeting of the Council of Ministers devoted to presentations relating to the financing of start-ups, the reduction of deadlines port passage of imported goods, monitoring the progress of the digitalization process and the project to build a seawater desalination station at Tamda Ouguemoun in Tizi Ouzou.
After the opening of the session by the President of the Republic, the presentation of the agenda and the activity of the Government over the last two weeks, and following the interventions of the Ministers, Mr. President of the Republic gave the following instructions, guidance and directives:
1- Concerning monitoring the progress of the digitization process:
As a continuation of the implementation of the National Data Bank + Data Center + project which is at an advanced pace, Mr. President ordered the High Commissioner for Digitization to create a group of design offices, specializing in monitoring of the realization of this project.
2- Concerning the measures taken to reduce port transit times for imported goods:
- The President of the Republic has instructed the Government to design a comprehensive approach for a new port management strategy, to be submitted to the Council of Ministers as soon as possible.
- Mr. President ordered the Minister of Transport to redouble vigilance and caution in the face of all forms of manipulation, in particular the policy of procrastination with regard to the control of containers, insisting on the imperative of respecting unloading deadlines by reinforcing the capacities and control devices, capable of freeing up space at dry ports.
- Mr. President ordered the establishment of a coordination mechanism to manage the pressure resulting from stranded waiting times at ports, so as to reduce them to a maximum duration of 24 hours.
- Mr. President ordered to reduce the pressure on the port of Algiers, in concert with commercial maritime agencies, by directing part of the maritime traffic of commercial ships to all ports of the country.
3- Concerning the financing of start-ups:
- Mr. President welcomed the policy followed in the field of start-ups, in the sense that the State will continue to support these young people who represent the new generation of entrepreneurs and who rely on technologies and processes scientists.
- Mr. President ordered the Government to further open the field to start-ups to benefit from public projects, and to fight against obsolete practices aimed at discouraging young people from taking the path to success.
- Mr. President ordered the minister of the sector to accelerate the opening of regional agencies responsible for financing and monitoring start-up projects.
- Mr. President instructed the Minister of Start-ups to ensure all the facilitations for young project leaders, who are now the pride of Algeria at the regional, continental and international levels, to interact with them and listen to their concerns, particularly with regard to reducing the time it takes to create their businesses.
- Mr. President underlined that the State's desire to confer profitability and economic efficiency on start-ups requires adaptation to the mentality of the new generation, and not the adaptation of young people to old practices which must be definitively banned, bureaucracy being the main enemy of these young people.
4- Concerning the construction of a seawater desalination station at Tamda Ouguemoun in Tizi Ouzou:
- The Council of Ministers approved the project to build a seawater desalination station at Tamda Ouguemoun in the commune of Iflissen, provided that the technical studies are thorough and meticulous, particularly with regard to the energy supply.
- The President of the Republic ordered the Minister of Hydraulics to coordinate with the Minister of Energy to reach a final agreement on the technical stages.
General guidelines:
Concerning the supply of drinking water to the wilaya of Tiaret:
- The President of the Republic ordered the Ministers of the Interior and Hydraulics to put in place a specific emergency program, within 48 hours following the closure of the work of the Council of Ministers at the latest, to resolve the problem of disruptions in the drinking water supply to the population of the wilaya of Tiaret, by involving civil society and elected officials of the wilaya in the development of this emergency program.
- Completion of a water transfer project from the Chott Chergui region over a distance of 42 km, the work still in progress. Instructions from the President of the Republic were given to strengthen the construction sites and complete the project within a period not exceeding 20 days.
- The President of the Republic gave instructions for the realization of a groundwater transfer project from the region of Djermaya, in order to strengthen the supply of drinking water on the eastern side of the wilaya of Tiaret.
- Construction of 8,500 linear meters of drilling, including equipment and electricity connection, in the wilaya of Tiaret.
- Completion of 4,000 linear meters of deep exploration drilling in the regions of Rechaiga, Rahouia, Sidi Bakhti and Mecheraa Asfa, with a view to strengthening the supply of drinking water in municipalities experiencing a supply deficit.
Regarding the export plan for Algerian products:
- The President of the Republic ordered the Government to develop a comprehensive strategy encompassing all stages of export of Algerian products, particularly in view of the increase in the number of companies active in this area.
- The President of the Republic ordered the Ministers of Finance, Industry and Commerce to carry out a new scientific and economic study on the feasibility and effectiveness of the export of certain Algerian products.
- The President of the Republic underlined that the State's encouragement of export operations of Algerian products was primarily aimed at supporting the national economy, generating additional currency resources and balancing the trade balance.
Finally, the Council of Ministers approved decrees on appointments to senior state positions.