How does the ports repair contribute to raising the revenues of Algeria? | economy

Algeria has started adopting a comprehensive plan to reform and develop its ports with the aim of enhancing its competitiveness at the regional and international levels, and its contribution to supporting the national economy.

The Algerian President, Abdel Majid Taboun, ordered, during the last cabinet meeting, to change the work system in the ports to the 24/24 hours system (i.e. work around the clock), especially in the ports with intense economic activity such as Jin Jin, Algeria, Bejaia, Annaba, Oran and Mostaganem, with the aim of keeping pace with economic movement and reducing excess expenses caused by long waiting periods of ships.

In July 2024, the Algerian President ordered the preparation for a national plan to expand a number of ports in order to improve its activity and enhance its absorptive capabilities.

During the first half of the year 2024, the Algerian commercial ports witnessed the treatment of 63 million and 420 thousand tons of goods in an increase of 2.53%, compared to the same period of 2023, and about 848 thousand equivalent containers for 20 feet, and registration of about 242 thousand passengers.

During the year 2023, commercial ports dealt with more than 125 million tons of goods, and about 1.5 million equivalent containers for 20 feet. With the registration of about 767 thousand passengers.

During the third quarter of the year 2024, the Foundation of Algiers achieved a total size of the vicious and fired goods, while the port treated about 1700 commercial ships during the year 2024.

The total number of workers of public companies active in the field of maritime transport and ports was estimated at more than 20 thousand and 600 workers, without calculating the private sector.

Ports expansion

The Algerian seminary heritage includes 52 ports facilities, including 11 commercial port and 37 port and marine hunting shelters, in addition to two hydrocarbons and two piots for a picnic, according to the statements of the Minister of Public Works and the Algerian base facilities, Lakhdar Rakhkh, stressing that the ports infrastructure represents the backbone to secure more than 95 % Of the foreign trade of Algeria.

Algerian ports are currently witnessing a series of expansion and development projects with the aim of enhancing their logistical and commercial capabilities, the most important of which are:

• Jinn Port (Jijel)
  The port of “Jinn” is considered one of the strategic projects in the east of the country, which aims to raise its capacity to 26 million tons of general goods and 5 million equivalent containers, and the project was allocated to the project by a financial cover of 310 billion Algerian dinars with an estimated duration of 48 months.

• Annaba port
  It is part of a Chinese Algerian partnership represented by China Ports Engineering Company (CHEC), “Cosider-TP) and the Mediterranean National Works Company (Meditram).
  The expansion of the port and the mining sidewalk is completed within 24 months, with an expansion area of ​​82 hectares (820 square kilometers).
  It will enable the development of the capacity of Annaba Port and to facilitate the charging, unloading and transportation of phosphate materials by receiving ships of large size, as part of a strategic project launched by Algeria in the Al -Haddaba region in the wilaya of Tebessa.
  This scheme includes linking the mine to the pillow of Annaba via a railway of 422 km, passing through the states of the Ahras market, Guelma, and Skikda.

• Arzio Port (Oran)
  The expansion of the Arazio Port, in Oran, western Algeria, was assigned to an Algerian-Chinese complex (Kossidar and Midram-Chuck) within the deadlines of no more than 39 months at the maximum estimate of a financial cover estimated at 45 billion Algerian dinars (333 million dollars).

The expansion project includes the creation of a new commercial berth (Mall 5): it extends along a length of 1200 meters with a depth of less than 14 meters, and sits on an area of ​​52 hectares. This sidewalk includes 4 sites for urea export, iron products, and container treatment with a capacity of 500 thousand tons annually. And the completion of two berths dedicated to the repair of ships.

The economy professor at the University of Setif, Fares Habbash, says that Algeria, through expansion and ports modernization projects, and the implementation of huge projects to develop ports such as Hamdania Port in Cherchell in Tipaza, at an investment cost exceeding 6.2 billion dollars, has already begun to raise obstacles that hinder the development of ports.

Enhancing exports

Speaking to Al -Jazeera Net, Habbash stressed that the development of this sector will enhance the role of Algeria as a regional logistical center, which creates new sources of income from customs duties, logistics and transit trade.

He pointed out that Algeria seeks to enhance its exports outside the hydrocarbon sector, so the development of ports can contribute positively by reducing the transportation costs and increasing the speed of export operations.

For his part, the economist, Mohamed Himran, confirmed the creation of an economic and vital dynamic in the development of maritime trade by improving the logistical efficiency of the ports in a way that responds and meets the needs of economic actors in light of continuous competition for foreign trade.

He said, in his interview with Al -Jazeera Net, that all the goals planned impose on Algeria to create an advanced and modern infrastructure that attracts large ships according to an operating system that continues throughout the day as it is internationally.

He noted the necessity of opening the door for partnership with the private sector to run, create competitiveness, raise quality and accelerate services, because most ports are affiliated with public companies, in addition to investing in the human element and efficiency.

Improving the performance of the economy

The economist and an advisor in economic development, Abdel Rahman Haddam, confirms that the delay in the failure of the ships for long periods, reflected negatively on the balance of payments, as large sums are paid because of this delay, which makes the decision a positive impact on the various economic sectors.

Haddad considered, in his talk to Al -Jazeera Net, that the industrial sector will benefit from reforms in light of Algerian efforts to upgrade its products to international markets and integrate into global value chains.

He noted the decision -making decisions to restructure the national naval fleet, in order to improve the performance of the Algerian economy by reorganizing the national marine transport institutions, in addition to the possibility of entering into partnerships with foreign institutions, with the aim of developing a naval fleet that serves the interests of the Algerian international trade and trade.