WEEK ENDED THURSDAY JANUARY 18, 2001 - 99th ISSUE

Antinea & Khalifa:
THE REASON OF A SALE

CHART OF THE WEEK
Distribution of credit
to the Algerian economy

FIRST TAKE: In 1999 the Algerian economy received 933.6 billion dinars in credit (some $13 billion). 82.2% of this amount went to the troubled public sector while the private sector received only 17.8%.

Not shown in the above chart are local communities and administrations which were granted only a symbolic 100 million dinars.

While the chart shows a dramatic increase of credit to the public sector in 1999, the actual share of credit to the private sector grew substantially from 14.6% in 1997 to 17.8% in 1999.

The most important trend worth noticing is an acceleration of credit distribution. Indeed between 1996 and 1998 total credit fluctuated between AD 731 billion and AD 776 billion. But credit increased to AD 934 in 1999 thanks to growing oil and gas revenue.

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Algeria - Privatization
Algeria Selects Italian Privatization Model
Algeria is looking to duplicate the Italian privatization model. Hamid Temmar, the highest ranking minister in charge of economic restructuring has officially invited Experts from Italy’s Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale or IRI to guide Algeria in its privatization effort. The invitation came following a seminar held last week.
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Moroccan Fisheries
Tough Negotiations Over Fisheries Rights in Morocco’s Waters
Negotiators in charge of drafting an agreement that would allow European fishermen to operate in Morocco are deadlocked. They hoped to have a final document that would be endorsed by Romano Prodi on the 15^th, but that did not happen.
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General Tire Morocco Faces Difficult Decision
Workforce Reduction or Bankruptcy as UMT’s Decision to Join Talks Raises Hope of New Labor Legislation
General Tire Morocco may soon call it quit. Financial troubles and a six-week old labor conflict have forced the company to halt trading on its shares on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. Trading would resume once the company has a clear strategy and finds a solution to its conflict with its workforce. But will the company succeed in making a comeback?
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Algerian Banking
CEO Appointments in Banking but No Comprehensive Reform Yet
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POLITICS

Morocco - Politics
King cancels planned meeting with human rights group after blunt talk at congress - Administrative Court rejects challenge by three banned newspapers to authorization delays
King Mohammed VI cancelled a planned meeting with directors of the International Human Rights Federation (IHRF), citing an overloaded agenda, after speakers at the Federation’s world conference in Casablanca harshly criticized the government for banning three newspapers and violently dispersing recent demonstrations by fundamentalists and human rights activists.
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PDF FILE OF WEEKLY

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