Algiers: Organization of trade activity

The regulation and efficient organization of trade activities constitute a top priority for the State in order to answer the citizens’ preoccupations and ensure a better framing of these activities, officials of the commerce sector said. Many efforts, in the legal and regulation plan, in terms of commercial organization and rehabilitation of existing commercial infrastructures, were deployed by authorities to reach an organized framework of the commercial activity. Many studies were launched to achieve planning of the national schema of commercial infrastructures, which define the core of the national distribution system according to the size, the nature and the organization of each commercial sphere. According to this official, the new text integrates the three families of products: fruits and vegetables, food products and industrial products. In the absence of a standardized and efficient regulation and monitoring of the market, the Competition Council will be the main institution responsible for the proper efficiency of competitive market by punishing all offenses with rules prescribed by the applicable regulations. The upcoming installation of the Competition Council will allow, in addition, the full enshrining of competition right, Ministry of Commerce General Secretary Aissa Zelmati said. This council is composed of six experts in law and economics, four professionals, non-permanent members, who have experience in the sectors of production, distribution and two representatives of consumer protection association. In term of commercial organization, an important measure was taken to fight against informal commercial activities. An inter-ministerial directive (Commerce-Interior) of March 9th 2011 was addressed to local governors (walis) to take in consideration the citizens’ complaints to fight against this phenomenon.