Ali Aoun: Algeria is one of the most important pharmaceutical producers in Africa, and pharmaceutical exports amounted to $12.6 million – Algerian Dialogue

The Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production, Ali Aoun, confirmed Thursday in the capital that Algeria has become one of the most important pharmaceutical producers in Africa with 203 companies, revealing that pharmaceutical exports will reach $12.6 million in 2023.
In a public session dedicated to oral questions in the National Assembly, chaired by the Speaker of the Assembly, Salih Gogel, and in the presence of a number of government members, Aoun highlighted the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Algeria, with it reaching 70 percent of the coverage of the national market.
The minister pointed out that exports in the pharmaceutical industry amounted to $12.6 million in 2023, with an expected increase to $17 million in 2024.

A broader strategy for developing the Chemical Industries Division

Aoun stated that his sector is adopting a strategy to develop the chemical industries division to meet a wider range of national and international needs and reduce the import bill for basic chemicals, stressing that Algeria has all the qualifications to develop this industry.

In response to Fouad Sabouta’s question (National Liberation Front Party) about the road map approved by the Ministry to establish a chemical and petrochemical industry, he said that the Ministry’s strategy in the field of the chemical industry, in accordance with the government’s objectives, depends mainly on studying the available resources and market trends to meet the national and international needs of various chemicals.” .

This strategy depends – the Minister adds – on diversifying production and investing in research and development in order to become more competitive on the global stage within the framework of sustainable development, taking into account the environmental impact of chemical production.

In this regard, he stressed that his sector “has already begun to develop the Chemical Industries Division to meet a wider range of national and international needs and reduce the import bill for basic chemicals.”

Aoun stated: “The first fruits of this adopted policy appeared through the results achieved in the field of pharmaceutical industries, plastics, paints, cleaning materials, cosmetics and other products, in which Algeria moved from “a complete importer to a self-sufficient or exporter.”

As for the petrochemical industries, he pointed out that they constitute a strategic sector with a distinction shared between the industrial sector, pharmaceutical production, energy and mining, and he recalled the current investments of the Sonatrach production complex, especially polypropylene and nitrogen fertilizers, adding that his sector will work to study the possibility of “investing with the energy and mining sector to produce some materials.” Especially rare materials.”

Regarding the question of member Mohamed Boukro (free) about the ministry’s efforts to solve the problem of not supplying the “Al-Tarf” industrial zone (Constantine) with a natural gas network, he explained that “the problem of not connecting the industrial zones to electricity and gas is due to “their neglect in the past,” but today it is experiencing a renaissance in Investment,” especially with the new legislative framework in this field, pointing to the efforts of the Sonelgaz Complex to connect various regions with electricity and gas.

Regarding the “Al-Tarf” region, he stated that his ministerial department had corresponded with the interests of the Ministry of Finance in order to study the possibility of undertaking the process of connecting this region to gas, given that it is not restricted by the title of the Ministry of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production.

Aoun pointed out that 60 percent of the process of connecting this region to natural gas belongs to the external network, the “transmission network,” which is within the jurisdiction of the Sonelgaz complex, and the energy sector can undertake the external connection process in accordance with the legislation and regulation in force in this regard.

In his response to Abdelhak Brahimi’s question (free) about preparing the activity areas located in each of the municipalities of Ouled Jalal, Al-Doussen and Sidi Khaled (Ouled Jalal province), Aoun said that the ministry is in the process of technical study of the file for the rehabilitation of the activity areas, taking into account all Details of works and estimated prices inside and outside these areas, such as electricity and gas, water supply and sanitation, and the communications network, as well as to enable his ministerial departments to analyze and transfer these files and financial needs to the departments of the Ministry of Finance, in order to study the proposal to register these financial appropriations.

Aoun concluded that his ministerial sector will spare no effort to follow up on this file, in implementation of the decisions of the President of the Republic aimed at continuing and developing development action, because of its direct positive impact on the lives of citizens.