Algeria

Oil And Natural Gas Dominate the economy, providing a third of GDP, 97 per cent of exports and two-thirds of the government income. The state-owned industrial sector is meanwhile inefficient and unemployment high, at nearly 30 per cent. Standards of living are falling...

A GROWTH RATES OF 6.9 PER CENT in 2003 and 5.4 per cent 2004 confirm the country’s economic health and stability and underpin expectation of further substantial growth of around 4.5 per cent in 2005 and 2006. Algeria has reduced its debt ratio to 24.7 per cent, rebuilt official reserves to the equivalent of nearly two years of imports, still has a budget surplus (even taking into account its FRR revenue regulation fund) and has...

This article describes Algeria's  Decree on Protection Against Ionising Radiation (2005), its Decree on Radioactive Waste Management (2005), and its Decree on Food Irradiation (2005). It also describes Armenia's Decree on Food Irradiation (2005), Belgium's Act Amending the 1994 Act on Protection of the Public and the Environment Against Radiation and Relating to the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (2005), Brazil's Decree on the National Defence Policy Including the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (2005), Finland's Nuclear Liability Bill (2005), France's Order on Professional Activities Using Raw Materials Containing Natural Radionuclides not Used for Their Radioactive Properties (2005) and its Order on the Organisation of a National Network to Measure radioactivity in the Environment and on Criteria for the Certification of Laboratories (2005), Germany's Act on the Control of High-activity Sources (2005), its Ordinance on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (2005), and its Ordinance on Establishing a Prohibition to Alter the Conditions of the Subsoil Within the Gorleben Salt Formation (2005), Hungary's Decree on the Procedures of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority in Nuclear Safety Regulatory Matters (2005), Israel's Amendment to the Pharmacists’ Regulations (Radioactive Elements and Their Products) (2005) and its Import and Export Order (Control of Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Exports) (2004), the Republic of Korea's Act on Physical Protection and Radiological Emergency (2004), Poland's Regulation on Ionising Radiation Dose Limits (2005) and its Regulation on Positions for Ensuring Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection and on Radiological Protection Inspectors (2005), Portugal's Decree-Law Setting up the Independent Commission for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (2005) and its Decree-Law Establishing the Environmental Monitoring System of Radioactivity (2005), Romania's Order on Methodological Norms Regarding Planning, Organisation and Intervention in the Event of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (2005) and its Order Approving Generic Procedures for Data Collection, Validation and Response During a Radiological Emergency (2005) as well as its Order on the Norms Regarding the Release of Radioactive Effluents into the Environment (2005), Slovenia's Regulation on Requirements for Workers in Nuclear Installations and Radiation Facilities (2005) and its Regulations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, Nuclear Installations and Radiation Facilities (2005), South Africa's recent regulatory developments in the nuclear field, Sweden's SKI Regulations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Facilities (2005) and Guidance for Geological Disposal of Nuclear Waste (2005), Switzerland's Draft Act on Nuclear Third Party Liability (2005), Ukraine's Regime of nuclear installations, and the United States' Energy Policy Act (2005) and its Amendments to the Price-Anderson Act (2005) on nuclear third party liability.

La croissance économique de l’Algérie continue d’être soutenue, principalement grâce à la hausse persistante du volume et des prix de ses exportations d’hydrocarbures qui ont permis au pays d’améliorer considérablement sa position externe. Cet environnement international favorable, couplé à une croissance agricole au-dessus de 2 pour cent en 2004, a permis à l’Algérie de connaître un taux de croissance du PIB de 5.2 pour cent en 2004, et de prévoir une croissance de 5.4 pour cent pour l’année 2005. Ces résultats devraient perdurer tant que les termes de l’échange se maintiendront à un niveau favorable.

Algeria's economic growth has continued to be sustained mainly by the ongoing increase in the volume and prices of its oil and gas exports, which have enabled the country to improve its external position considerably. This positive international climate, along with agricultural growth above 2 per cent in 2004, has meant that Algeria’s GDP grew by 5.2 per cent in 2004 and the rate is expected to be 5.4 per cent in 2005. These positive results should continue as long as trade conditions remain favourable.

A FAVOURABLE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION and good control over macroeconomic aggregates have enabled Algeria to maintain respectable levels of economic growth since 2002; these remain beneath the country’s potential, however, particularly in non-hydrocarbon growth. The continued increase in revenue from hydrocarbons has allowed the country to achieve high investment rates and controlled wage increases, but unemployment remains high, especially amongst young people. The country has been able to discharge most of its external, public and multilateral debt thanks to prepayments. Compared to economies with a similar revenue level, the Algerian economy is still poorly diversified, and the contribution of the private sector to total GDP remains weak.

Uranium exploration began in Algeria in 1969. The Precambrian shield of the Hoggar and its Tassilian sedimentary cover were considered to provide a geological environment favourable for uranium mineralisation. Initial exploration, carried out by means of ground radiometric surveys, found several radioactive anomalies (Timgaouine, Abankor and Tinef). In 1971, an aerial radiometric survey was performed over the entire country, an area of 2 380 000 km2. After evaluation of the data from that survey, several prospecting teams were involved in ground follow-up and in verifying anomalies. This led to the discovery of a large number of promising areas for further uranium exploration: Eglab, Ougarta, and southern Tassili (Tin-Seririne basin) where the Tahaggart deposit was discovered. Follow up of the aerial radiometric survey also led to identification of the Tamart-N-Iblis and Timouzeline sectors as areas for future uranium exploration. At the same time, the search for uranium entered a phase (1973-1981), which focused primarily on evaluation of the deposits already discovered. A second phase (1984-1987) was characterised by a marked slowdown in the search effort; however, investigations of the flanks of the known deposits and in neighbouring regions revealed other potential mineralised areas (e.g. Tesnou zone in the northwest and north Timgaouine). In Tin-Seririne basin (Tassili south of the Hoggar), geological mapping has resulted in characterisation of the distribution of uranium mineral deposits in the Paleozoic sedimentary sequences.

La prospection de l’uranium a commencé en Algérie en 1969. On a considéré que le bouclier précambrien du Hoggar et sa couverture sédimentaire tassilienne constituaient un environnement géologique favorable à la minéralisation en uranium. Les premières activités de prospection, effectuées aux moyens de levés radiométriques terrestres, ont révélé plusieurs anomalies radioactives (Timgaouine, Abankor et Tinef). En 1971, une campagne radiométrique aérienne a été réalisée sur l’ensemble du territoire, soit une superficie de 2 380 000 km2. Une fois dépouillées les données de cette campagne, plusieurs équipes de prospection ont été envoyées sur le terrain pour vérifier les anomalies. Ces activités ont conduit à la découverte d’un grand nombre de zones justifiant une prospection plus poussée de l’uranium: Eglab, Ougarta et le Tassili méridional (bassin de Tin-Seririne) où a été découvert le gisement de Tahaggart. Le suivi de la campagne radiométrique aérienne a également débouché sur l’identification des secteurs de Tamart-N-Iblis et de Timouzeline comme zones de prospection future de l’uranium. Simultanément, la recherche d’uranium est entrée dans une phase (1973-1981) axée principalement sur l’évaluation des gisements déjà découverts. Il s’en est suivi une seconde phase (1984-1987) caractérisée par un ralentissement marqué de l’effort de recherche ; toutefois, des études sur les flancs des gisements connus et dans les régions voisines ont mis à jour des zones susceptibles de contenir des minéralisations (par exemple, zone de Tesnou dans le nord-ouest et le nord de Timgaouine). Dans le bassin de Tin-Seririne (partie sud du Tassili dans le Hoggar), la cartographie géologique a débouché sur une caractérisation de la distribution des gisements uranifères dans les séquences sédimentaires du paléozoïque. 

Algeria: Part de l’encours de la dette extérieure dans le PIB et ratio du service de la dette sur les exportations (en pourcentage) appears in African Economic Outlook 2009.

Algeria: Real GDP Growth and Per Capita GDP (USD/PPP at current prices) appears in African Economic Outlook 2009.

Algeria: Public Finances (percentage of GDP at current prices) appears in African Economic Outlook 2009.

Algeria: Demand Composition appears in African Economic Outlook 2009.

Algeria: GDP by Sector in 2007 (percentage) appears in African Economic Outlook 2009.

Algeria: Current Account (percentage of GDP at current prices) appears in African Economic Outlook 2009.

SINCE 2000 ALGERIA HAS CONSOLIDATED its economic growth, and the reforms undertaken are beginning to bear fruit. Growth in 2008 was 3.3 per cent and inflation 4.4 per cent. Having appreciated since 2007, the exchange rate of the dinar (DZD) remained close to its equilibrium value in 2008 (68 dinars to the US dollar [USD]), and unemployment stabilised at around 12 per cent of the active population. Strengthened by an average oil price of USD 99 per barrel in 2008, the Bank of Algeria built up foreign exchange reserves amounting to almost USD 142 billion. Following early repayments, total external debt fell to USD 460 million (0.27 of gross domestic product [GDP]), and internal public debt dropped by nearly 30 per cent. Weak growth of 0.2 per cent is expected in 2009, as a result of falling global demand and reduced prices of oil and gas.