[ecr]

During a plenary session at the Council of the Nation (Upper House of Parliament) dedicated to answering questions from council members regarding the 2025 finance bill, chaired by the Speaker of the Council, Salah Goudjil, in the presence of several members of the government, Faid said that the public debt in Algeria represents less than 50% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a ratio lower than that observed in several Arab and Mediterranean countries.

According to the minister, the stock of public debt should reach DZD 16,879 billion by the end of 2024, or 49.61% of GDP. This level, composed of 99% domestic debt, “remains lower than the benchmark index for emerging markets, which is between 60% and 70%.”

This “low” level of debt offers the Treasury “a margin to mobilize additional resources through the Treasury securities market, intended to cover the 2025 budget deficit,” added the minister.

Compared to certain Arab and Mediterranean countries, Algeria “has a relatively lower level of public debt, well below the countries in the region, such as Greece, Italy, France and Spain (+110% of GDP),” he noted.

In response to concerns about financing the Treasury deficit for 2025, Faid said that he would rely mainly on the available resources of the Revenue Regulation Fund (FRR) (estimated at DZD 500 billion in surplus by the end of 2024), the surplus of tax revenues on hydrocarbons for next year, as well as public debt, mainly domestic.[/ecr]