Algeria - Rabia Khreis
Algerian Public Health Practitioner Association Elias Mrabet criticized the decision to refer the new draft health bill to the Algerian parliament without involving them in amending the gaps in the bill, which will cause a stir in the country.
He criticized the sudden move by Algerian Health Minister Mokhtar Hizballawi, who ordered the lifting of the freeze on the bill by order of the government, without meeting the promises he made to trade unions to amend.
He stressed that the President of the Union of Public Health Practitioners called for popular recruitment to drop him because this is not only for the employees of the sector but also for the Algerian citizen.
He added that Algerian Minister of Health Mukhtar Hizballawi, promised during the meeting he held with him in the union on October 17, at the headquarters of the ministry, to discuss some of the outstanding issues, that the draft law currently at the level of the Health Committee of the Algerian parliament will be updated and re-considered, while this did not happen.
He announced that they will oppose the plan that was drafted during President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s fourth term in office. Their influence will be however limited at parliament because they are in the minority.
He added that Ouyahia’s plan expresses government skepticism about the possibility of improving the country’s income from the selling of fuel during the next two years, revealed a copy of the document. He added that this has prompted the PM to voice his intention to amend the loan law through printing more hard currency.
He stressed the possibility to obtain a loan from the Central Bank has not been ruled out. Economic and financial experts predicted that this step will create great inflation and spark a rise in the majority of products, which will ultimately keep the deficit as it is.