Ministry sets banana price cap of 420 to 450 dinars a kilo
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Import prices are also capped at one dollar a kilo, and meat profit margins are set at 4%, 5% and 8% for importers, wholesalers and retailers.
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Market Regulation has set a compulsory price cap of 420 to 450 dinars (DZD) a kilo for bananas in Algeria, according to Algérie 360.
The new rules were set at a working meeting held by video conference on 29 October. Central officials of the ministry chaired the meeting.
It included the director of trade for Algiers wilaya and the director of agricultural services for the wilaya.
Representatives of National Security and the National Gendarmerie, a veterinary services representative and trade directorate staff also took part.
Banana checks
Inspectors have been told to act without delay, seize any quantity offered above the cap and start legal action against those who break the rules. The checks cover the whole chain, from goods entering through the ports to ripening rooms and cold storage, then wholesale markets, shops and large stores.
Inspections will look first at invoices, price structures and profit margins. The aim is to trace the path of the goods and find the source of any unjustified price rise.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion has also set a ceiling price on imports of no more than one dollar a kilo, to break monopoly situations. The ministry acted after serious breaches were found and procedures were started against several importers.
Meat prices and margins
For red meat, the measures apply a decree of April 2024 that sets the limits on profit margins. These are 4% for importers, 5% for wholesalers and 8% for retailers.
The measures also cut customs duties to 5%, under the 2026 finance law. An immediate investigation has been opened into some importers suspected of hoarding the market and selling imported meat at local meat prices.
Local meat prices have jumped as high as 3,000 dinars a kilo. Inspectors are also looking closely at price gaps between wilayas and neighbourhoods.
What it means for shoppers
For shoppers, bananas offered above the cap can be seized and the sellers can face legal action.
Several more video meetings with the trade directors of the wilayas are planned.
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