President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defense, chaired a Council of Ministers meeting today. The session addressed a draft law on the practice of commercial activities, along with presentations on the mechanization of the agricultural sector and a forward-looking outlook for the mining sector.
Following a review of the agenda and the government’s activities over the past two weeks presented by the Prime Minister, the President issued several orders and instructions.
Regarding the mining sector, the President emphasized that the upcoming phase must align with Algeria’s ambition to establish a secure economic power and diversification as the foundation of an emerging state. He ordered the presentation of an exploration plan to the Council of Ministers in the near future, which must accurately detail the mining branches to be prioritized, along with specific timelines for exploitation and production.
The President stressed that, from now on, only a high pace of implementation for agreed-upon work plans would be accepted to ensure developmental stability. He also directed the total reliance on technology in this strategic sector, utilizing local human resources, Algerian experts abroad, and partnerships with friendly and allied nations.
On agricultural mechanization, the President instructed the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries to ensure full readiness for the upcoming harvest season, which is expected to yield high-quality results due to favorable weather conditions. He reaffirmed the necessity of providing necessary machinery to farmers nationwide, with priority given based on scientific and professional criteria, taking into account cultivated areas and production volumes.
The President also directed that production quantities serve as the primary indicator for establishing provincial and regional cooperatives for agricultural equipment, moving away from all forms of administrative bureaucracy.
Regarding the construction of a desalination plant in In Salah, the President directed that future population growth must be considered. He called for increasing the planned production capacity of the plant, which will supply drinking water to the residents of Tamanrasset. He emphasized the importance of monitoring the provision of high-quality drinking water services, noting the vital role of seawater desalination plants in ensuring national water security.
Before concluding the meeting, the Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs presented a report on the recovery of looted assets. The Minister revealed that 33 judicial requests were sent to Switzerland, of which 20 were studied and accepted. Four cases related to frozen looted funds have been finalized, and Algeria is set to receive over $110 million as a result of these procedures.
The President expressed his gratitude to the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of Spain for their cooperation in recovering Algeria’s looted funds. He noted that while 61 judicial requests were sent to France regarding this matter, none have received a response.
At the end of the meeting, the Council approved individual decrees involving appointments and terminations of duties in senior state positions.
