Algerian Radio
The Prime Minister, Mr. Sifi Ghrieb, highlighted this Monday in Algiers the comprehensive reform movement recently witnessed by the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency. Under these reforms, the agency will be transformed from a traditional administrative window into an integrated and restructured administration, accompanied by a total simplification of the investment system in a manner that strengthens trust between investors and the state.
Mr. Ghrieb explained, in a speech delivered while presiding over the opening of an information day on the new legal provisions governing the Single Window for investment, that based on the instructions of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune—which mandate making the Agency the sole, actual, and fully prepared point of contact for the investor—a comprehensive reform of the Agency has been initiated. Under this reform, it will transform from a traditional administrative window into an integrated administration structured around the real needs of investors and field requirements.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the restructuring of the Agency and the recent revision of key sectoral texts aim to "bring about a comprehensive simplification of the entire investment system, with the goal of ending the slow processing of applications, the fragmentation of responsibilities, and the complexity of administrative procedures that hinder the realization of projects."
The ongoing reforms, Mr. Ghrieb added, reflect a "firm conviction that investment can only flourish in an environment based on mutual trust, clear rules, and rapid decision-making," noting that what is being implemented is "not merely a slight improvement of procedures, but a profound transformation in the relationship between the state and the investor."
In this regard, full and complete qualification of department representatives at the Single Windows has been initiated to enable them to fully exercise the competencies entrusted to them. This involves changing the nature of the relationship between the state and the investor, as he explained that these agents are no longer merely intermediaries for their central administrations, but have become full decision-makers.
This is evident through their responsibility for ensuring the vetting of files, their actual authority to process and sign documents, and their direct accountability for the operations assigned to them. Furthermore, their parent administrations are required to enable them to issue all necessary documents and permits in a single location, whether through the Single Window for Major Projects and Foreign Investments or the decentralized windows.
Through this approach, Algeria has chosen "tangible change," Mr. Ghrieb added, highlighting that the Investment Law has strengthened legal protection for investors. He noted that the next step taken today aims to simplify procedures, building an investment framework based on legal protection and simplified processes as two fundamental pillars, making Algeria "a land of initiative, capable of attracting investments and unleashing entrepreneurial potential."
In a related context, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of strengthening the investment framework to adapt to a rapidly changing world, where economic competition is no longer based solely on costs or the availability of resources, but rather on the quality of the investment environment.
The Prime Minister stated that the new regulations impose strict and mandatory control over file processing deadlines. Consequently, the general rule is now 25 days, and 20 days for classified facilities. He emphasized that "this direction is not merely an objective or an advisory goal, but rather a regulatory commitment that is enforceable across all concerned institutions."
Administrative procedures in the investment process are also being simplified by reducing the number of required copies and making way for digitalization, added Mr. Ghrieb. He noted that decarbonization (the elimination of physical paperwork) is a "guarantee for improving traceability, enshrining transparency, and achieving the highest levels of administrative efficiency."
The Prime Minister touched upon the issue of real estate, which plays a decisive role in investment dynamics, noting that the new texts have introduced fundamental changes to the methods of granting economic land. In this regard, "the evaluation of projects will be based on a revised scoring grid, grounded in clearer criteria, to better assess the feasibility of projects and their actual contribution to the development of the national economy."
In this framework, Mr. Gharib explained that the Agency's Board of Directors—whose composition has been upgraded to the level of Ministerial Secretaries-General—is called upon to deliberate on land allocation according to strategic development priorities and the expected impact of projects on the national economy. He emphasized that the new texts "establish strict oversight for all stages of granting economic land, with precise deadlines defined to ensure greater efficiency in the relevant procedures. Furthermore, once the Board of Directors makes its decision, the Agency is committed to responding to the investor within a record period of 48 hours.”
