President Tebboune tackles import, speculation, political exploitation of products’ scarcity
By: Hana Saada
ALGIERS– The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune indicated that the restriction of imports should not be done to the detriment of the satisfaction of the essential needs of the citizen.
During his periodic interview with national media representatives, broadcast on Friday evening on national television and radio stations, President Tebboune maintained that “shortages in the market were unacceptable given the availability of local production and import authorization”, emphasizing that “the rationalization of imports – as stated on several occasions – should not be done to the detriment of the needs of the citizen”.
The commitments of certain sectors to release amounts through the limitation of imports “is an excellent measure but on condition of not creating a shortage on the market”, noted President Tebboune.
For President Tebboune, the substitution of imports should intervene once the increase in local production, its availability and its capacity to cover needs is confirmed, which requires, he continued, the use of digitization of management.
Warning against the political exploitation of scarcity
In the same vein, he recalled the coercive measures provided for in the law relating to the fight against illicit speculation which can go as far as life imprisonment, stressing that “the protection of the citizen is a fundamental question”.
Warning against the political exploitation of the scarcity, President Tebboune assured that “those who exploit the food of citizens for political purposes will pay a very high price”.
Observing that the local production of the essential products was sufficient, President Tebboune cited as an example edible oil, the production of which exceeds the real needs of the market by three times, which suggests that the occurrence of a shortage is “necessarily premeditated”.
However, President Tebboune explained that the shortage due to speculation was not the only reason behind the rise in certain prices, noting the existence of other factors, such as; the scarcity of certain out-of-season products as well as intermediaries in the distribution process.
