Algeria Gets A New Agency In Charge Of Entrepreneurship As ANSEJ Is Replaced

In Algeria, the national agency in charge of youth employment (ANSEJ) will soon be no more. In its place will be a national agency which would strictly cater to entrepreneurship unlike ANSEJ which was more or less a social initiative than entrepreneurial. The new agency will be called National Agency for Support and Promotion of Entrepreneurship (ANAPE).

Nassim Diafat, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister of Algeria in charge of micro-enterprise
Nassim Diafat, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister of Algeria in charge of micro-enterprise

“We have moved away from the social approach of ANSEJ. Today we have a new economic approach which has prompted us to change the name of this organization to National Agency for Support and Promotion of Entrepreneurship (ANAPE),” Nassim Diafat, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister of Algeria in charge of micro-enterprise said in an interview. 

Algeria Ansej Algeria Ansej

Here Is What You Need To Know

  • The Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of micro-enterprises gave a presentation on the draft Presidential Decree amending and supplementing Presidential Decree 96–234 of 02/07/1996 on support for youth employment
  • The amendment introduced four new provisions, including that the government of Algeria will formally undertake to refinance micro-enterprises in difficulty; replace the formula for organizing micro-enterprises into “grouped firms” by a new formula of “grouping of micro-enterprises” as well as integrate the possibility of housing micro-enterprises in specialized micro-zones developed under rental for the production of goods and services.
  • These new provisions introduced will make it possible to remove the constraints encountered in the development of the support mechanism for the creation of activities by the Agency and the project leaders and thus guarantee the sustainability of investments, a decision that will alleviate the suffering of thousands of young ANSEJ promoters.
  • As a reminder, last August, the minister delegate in charge of micro-enterprises reassured the beneficiaries of the ANSEJ program who are unable to repay their debts. 

“Young people who have benefited from financial loans from ANSEJ, and who are unable to repay their debts, will not be imprisoned,” said Diafat. 

Read also: Algeria Reschedules Loan Repayments, Extends Tax Exemptions For Startups Under ANSEJ From 3 to 5 Years

A Look At What ANSEJ Does

  • Algeria’s National Agency for Youth Employment Support ( Ansej ) is the country’s organization responsible for managing a credit fund for the creation of businesses. She participates in the public employment service .
  • Ansej is in charge of implementing a support system for business creation for people under 40 years of age. It manages a credit fund, granting loans at zero interest rate (0 rate loans), complementary to bank loans. Committees composed of representatives of banks and institutions grant the loans after examining the files of the promoters.
  • A bank guarantee fund supplements the financing instruments. Algeria ‘s Ansej advisors provide follow-up to promoters who have obtained a loan.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer