Algeria : efforts to modernize transport networks

An important financial budget of more than 3,000 billion dinars (40 billion dollars) was spent to modernize infrastructure and transport networks through various development programs over the past thirteen years, said the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Works, Hocine Necib. "More than 3,000 billion dinars were invested in many basic projects of road, rail, port and airport included in the action of the government since 1999 to date, which have significant economic benefits, "said Necib in an interview with APS. These investments achieved represents each year nearly 3% of gross domestic product (GDP), while in the previous decades of Algeria spent just 1% of its GDP on infrastructure projects base. "We are investing approximately 3% in the Public Works sector including road projects which have reached very important, while the universal rule recommended by the World Bank is between 1 and 2%, "he noted. Making up several decades of delay... Dubbing "effective" the strategy adopted by Algeria in this area, Necib expressed "satisfaction" with the projects realized achieved between 2000 and 2012; more than 8,700 km of roads and 2,983 km of motorways and expressways including the mega project of 1,216 km East-West Highway, which is currently nearing completion. In addition, 19 ports and 4 airports (commercial ports and fishing, airfields and airstrips) were also built during this period. All these projects achieved through successive five-year plans (2001-2005), (2005-2009) and the current one (2010-2014) aimed at making up the delay in Algeria during the colonial period and during the black decade where other development priorities took precedence. "Algeria needed to develop basic infrastructure because it occupies a strategic position in the heart of North Africa and even in the Mediterranean, which requires him to have a good network of road, ports and airports," he said. With regard to roads, Algeria who were in the aftermath of independence that 73,000 km of roads, 18,000 km paved managed to expand its network to 103,945 kilometers until 2000. A great attention has been given to the realization of motorways and expressways, nonexistent infrastructure independence, while Algeria lacked in 2000 as 637 km of motorways. As for maritime infrastructure since independence in 2000, the number of existing ports in Algeria has also experienced a considerable increase as trading and fishing ports increased from 24 to 32. The Algerian coast counts currently 51 marine infrastructures including 11 commercial ports, two oil ports, 41 ports and one fishing harbor. Also according to the report of the Public Works Department, the number of airports open to civil aviation traffic has risen from 27 to 32. Significant economic impact ... Necib affirmed that all these actions for Public Works Development are the result of a process aimed at improving conditions of people and goods circulation, which is beneficial to the transportation, trade, fishing and tourism. The stake is "to face many challenges in a world undergoing profound change to place Algeria permanently on the path of economic growth." Speaking about the socio-economic projects, he stressed their contribution to the opening up of different isolated regions, better exploitation of national natural resources and modernization of the road network but also job creation and improving the living conditions of populations.