Algiers, Algeria – The Algerian Council of Ministers, presided over by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, convened recently to discuss key issues spanning the hydrocarbon and mining sectors, finance, knowledge economy, startups, and micro-enterprises. Following the presentation of the agenda and a summary of the previous Council of Ministers’ decisions, the Prime Minister presented a report on the government’s activities over the past two weeks.
President Tebboune issued directives related to several crucial areas, most notably revisions to the guaranteed minimum wage and unemployment benefits.
The Council of Ministers approved a significant increase in the national minimum wage, raising it from 20,000 to 24,000 Algerian Dinars. This increase is slated to take effect in January 2026. Officials emphasized that this represents the most substantial increase in the minimum wage in decades, exceeding the previous increase of 2,000 Dinars approved in 2020.
Furthermore, the Council approved an increase in unemployment benefits from 15,000 to 18,000 Algerian Dinars.
President Tebboune instructed the Minister of Labor to review the requirement for unemployed individuals to renew their benefit applications every six months, emphasizing that the minimum duration for receiving benefits is one year, with the possibility of renewal.
The President also directed the Minister of Labor to ensure the National Employment Agency (ANEM) fulfills its mandate effectively, operating with transparency and efficiency in guiding job seekers, classifying those integrated into the labor market, and differentiating them from the unemployed within an updated national database.
President Tebboune tasked the Minister of Labor with presenting proposals for increasing pensions and retirement benefits, which will be reviewed by the Ministry of Finance and subsequently by the government before final approval by the Council of Ministers at its next meeting.
Regarding measures to meet national demand for petroleum products in the short and medium term, President Tebboune commended Algeria’s first-time export of refined gasoline since independence, following decades of imports. He subsequently ordered the convening of national energy and hydrocarbon sessions to update data and prioritize production and export strategies. He also instructed the Prime Minister to initiate discussions with Mauritania to establish Naftal service stations on Mauritanian territory.
