Cevital's strategy of silence under public scrutiny

Cevital, Algeria's leading private food industry group, is currently under close scrutiny by trade authorities in Béjaïa amidst a domestic shortage of cooking oil. While questions arise regarding its production output, the management issued a vague statement without providing any concrete figures. Under the leadership of Malik Rebrab since 2022, the company has adopted a policy of absolute silence, ignoring both its industrial milestones and operational challenges, such as those facing its oilseed crushing plant in Béjaïa. This withdrawal from the public eye originated in 2019 as a means to distance the firm from politics and maintain favor with the government, a process that included the shutdown of the newspaper Liberté. Analysts warn that this refusal to communicate, even when facing external criticism or industry rumors, leaves the company vulnerable to speculation and risks damaging its long-term reputation as a pillar of the Algerian private sector.