During a conference with various employers’ associations in March, Hamid Temmar, the minister of state shareholdings and investment promotion, unveiled the Algerian government’s new strategy for industry. The state program consists of several growth plans, with a special focus on restructuring and upgrading production facilities to make Algeria more competitive and bring the country in line with international standards. Temmar emphasized the need for companies to become more independent and act as sole decision-makers in their businesses. “Industrial companies,” Temmar said, “must seek to become modern enterprises with regards to technology. Besides, in the long term, industrial exports are expected to account for an integral part of the liberalized economy.” If plans for economic diversification are to move ahead, industrial products will make up a greater share of exports, thus reducing the country’s reliance on hydrocarbons. Not only does this shake-up concern the existing industrial sector, including public and private
