Algeria’s president Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Thursday appointed new trade and agriculture ministers, the second cabinet reshuffle this year. Algeria has approved a plan to boost agriculture and reduce food purchases from abroad while restricting goods imports.
Those measures followed a sharp fall in global market crude prices. Algeria relies on energy for 60% of state budget, and oil and gas exports account for 95% of its total sales abroad. It expects energy revenues to decline by 50% to $34bn this year, with imports seen at $57.3bn.
Bakhti Belaib was named trade minister in the new reshuffle, which also included Sid Ali Ferroukhi becoming agriculture minister and El Hadi Ouali being appointed as youth minister, said a statement carried by the APS news agency. In May, Bouteflika named new energy and finance ministers, part of a major cabinet changes.
