President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, supreme commander of the armed forces and minister of national defence, chaired a cabinet meeting that addressed the 2027 finance bill, African Development Bank financing for a railway section linking El Menia, In Salah and Tamanrasset, and a project for the Maqtaâ Moulay-Lahcen–Tamanrasset station. The agenda also included the 2026 grain harvest and the implementation of outcomes from joint committees and bilateral agreements with Niger and Chad.
After reviewing the agenda and the government’s activity report, Tebboune ordered that wage increases be included in the finance bill, in line with his previous commitment. He also directed that no taxes be introduced that would affect the purchasing power of middle-income households or people on low incomes. The cabinet then approved the bill.
Tebboune praised relations between Algeria, Niger and Chad and called for close monitoring of projects in both countries and the facilitation of dealings, particularly in energy, education, health and communications. He tasked the prime minister with coordinating and consulting with his Nigerien and Chadian counterparts to sustain an effective pace of work and achieve tangible progress.
On railway projects, the president ordered the immediate start of construction on the Laghouat–Ghardaïa–El Menia–In Salah–Tamanrasset line and called for work to be accelerated. He said the entire project should be completed by the end of 2028, allowing passengers to travel by train from the north of the country to Tamanrasset.
Following approval of African Development Bank financing for the section from El Menia to Tamanrasset, Tebboune asked the minister of public works to convey his thanks and encouragement to the sector’s workers, technicians and engineers. He praised their performance and said they were close to realizing a dream that had remained out of reach since independence.
Before the meeting ended, the cabinet approved a presidential decree containing the charter of the Green Middle East Initiative, adopted in Riyadh. Tebboune also asked the agriculture minister and the government’s secretary-general to arrange a cabinet meeting devoted to the agricultural sector.