Algerian Radio
The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defense, chaired a Cabinet meeting this Sunday, which addressed a number of sectoral reports, according to a statement issued by the Council of Ministers. The full text of the statement reads as follows:
President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of National Defense, chaired a Cabinet meeting that examined several presentations related to the hydrocarbons and mining sectors, finance, the knowledge-based economy, start-ups, and micro-enterprises.
Following the presentation of the meeting’s agenda and a summary of the decisions from the previous Cabinet session, and after the Prime Minister presented the government’s activities over the past two weeks, the President issued his directives, instructions, and guidance as follows:”
Regarding the revision of the guaranteed minimum wage and the unemployment allowance:
– The Council of Ministers has decided to raise the minimum wage from 20,000 dinars to 24,000 dinars, starting January 2026. This increase, in both scale and value, is the first of its kind in decades since the gradual adjustments to the guaranteed minimum wage began. The most recent increase was the one approved by the President in 2020, amounting to 2,000 dinars.
– The Council also decided to raise the unemployment allowance from 15,000 dinars to 18,000 dinars.
– The President instructed the Minister of Labour to revise the requirement of renewing unemployment allowance files every six months, stressing that the Council of Ministers has set the allowance to be granted for a minimum of one year, renewable.
– The President further instructed the Minister of Labour to ensure that the National Employment Agency (ANEM) performs its mandated role effectively, serving as a transparent and streamlined mechanism for guiding job seekers, classifying those integrated into the labor market, and distinguishing them from the unemployed within an updated national database.
– The President also directed the Minister of Labour to submit proposals concerning the increase of pensions and retirement benefits, to be examined by the Ministry of Finance and subsequently by the Government Council, with a final decision to be made at the next Cabinet meeting.
Regarding the presentation on measures taken to meet national demand for petroleum products in the short and medium term:
– After commending Algeria’s achievement—exporting domestically refined gasoline for the first time since independence, following decades of import dependence—the President issued the following instructions:
– Holding national energy and hydrocarbons sessions aimed at updating data and identifying priorities in production and export.
– Mandating the Prime Minister to initiate discussions with the Mauritanian side to begin establishing Naftal fuel service stations on Mauritanian territory.
– Assigning the Prime Minister to prepare a national policy plan for regulating and monitoring the consumption of petroleum derivatives, with the goal of increasing the capacity of the country’s strategic energy reserves.
– Ordering preparations for the launch of prepaid fuel cards, particularly in border regions.
– The President stressed the need to intensify efforts to complete the Hassi Messaoud refinery project in order to fully meet national demand for petroleum derivatives intended for local consumption, thereby boosting export capacity.
– Strengthening Naftal’s exclusive mandate for the import and production of raw materials and lubricant derivatives, with all other companies and importers becoming primary clients of Naftal for the marketing of these products within Algeria.
– The President emphasized that Algeria must continue advancing, under all circumstances, in the field of tire manufacturing. He instructed the Minister of Industry to conduct a market study on this product as soon as possible. Pending progress on this objective, the Council of Ministers approved the import of 500,000 units of tires for trucks, buses, and passenger vehicles.
Regarding the progress and outlook of the African Startups Conference:
– The President emphasized the importance of this major African economic event, describing it as a vital artery connecting African nations with the rest of the world.
– He stressed that steering toward a startup-driven economy, based on Africa-to-Africa partnership, represents the most effective model for building a strong and diversified economy rooted in knowledge, with Algeria serving as its incubator.
– He also highlighted the need to strengthen youth networks across Africa for the benefit of African countries, and to do so free from all forms of exploitation.
