Council Mandates Price Caps to Protect Consumer Purchasing Power

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has issued clear directives from a Council of Ministers meeting, ordering the implementation of a system to cap prices and define profit margins for several essential consumer goods. These measures are designed to safeguard the purchasing power of Algerian citizens.

The presidential orders specifically target items such as vegetables, legumes, pasta, and meats. Additionally, the President mandated an immediate investigation into the practices of certain importers accused of monopolizing markets and inflating prices, particularly concerning imported meats. This initiative also calls for strict regulation of commercial intermediaries operating between producers and consumers.

To ensure effective market oversight, President Tebboune called for a decentralized system where trade directors, under the responsibility of provincial governors (walis), will conduct daily local monitoring of widely consumed product prices. Further steps include doubling the number of price control teams within the Ministry of Internal Trade for continuous field interventions, and establishing a digital database through coordination between the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Internal Trade, and the Digitalization Commission. This database will serve as a rapid and effective price surveillance and alert mechanism, allowing authorities to intervene to rebalance prices when unusual increases occur. A mechanism for purchasing and storing surplus local products for subsequent market release was also directed to help stabilize prices.