ALGIERS- Algeria’s car import bill cars totalled US$158.67 million in January and February 2017, against US$243.04 million during the same period in 2016, down by 34.71%, the Algerian Customs’ National Centre of Data Processing and Statistics (CNIS) told APS.
Car imports represented nearly 15% of non-food consumer goods imports between January and February 2017, against nearly 19% during the same period a year earlier.
The import bill of passengers and goods transport vehicles amounted to US$104.96 million, against US$142.22 million, down by 26.2% during the same period of reference, according to the figures provided by the CNIS.
Import bill of car accessories totalled US$59.24 million against US$66.85 million, down by 11.4%, said the CNIS.
Car import quota for 2016 was set at 98,374 vehicles under import licences.
Algeria’s car import bill hit US$1.3 billion in 2016, against US$2.04 billion in 2015, down by 36.61%.
The interministerial committee in charge of setting a quota for car imports for the year 2017 has not met yet and no decision has been taken, affirmed Sunday in Algiers Minister of Industry and Mines Abdessalem Bouchouareb.
“The decision has not yet been taken because the committee has not met to discuss car import licences,” the minister told the press on the sidelines of a Seminar on digitalization of radiobroadcasting, television and radio.
In this regard, he recalled the decision of car import licences “is taken by a committee led by the Premier,” saying the committee will meet soon.
In response to a question on the information published on social networks and reported by media, according to which the Hyundai car assembling unit in Tiaret belonging to Tahkout manufacturing company (TMC) sold cars that are not assembled in Algeria, Bouchouareb said Premier Abdelmalek Sellal will send a joint inspection including the General Inspectorate of Finance, the General Inspectorate of Customs and representatives of ENACTA (The National Automobile Inspection Authority) on site, and we will consider the measure to take.”
