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Join on Telegram Rabat – A World Bank report on Algeria’s rising poverty and inept political leadership has sparked an anti-Morocco and anti-World Bank media frenzy in the North African country, with the Algeria media and political establishment launching fierce attacks on the global banking institution’s assessments.
In a combative article published as a response to the World Bank’s report, Algerian state news agency APS disputed the Bank’s suggestion that Algeria has been going through a period of deepening economic and socio-political crises amid the lack of meaningful reforms.
“Absent decisive implementation of the reform agenda, the economic outlook points to a fragile recovery, and to deteriorating fiscal and external balances in the medium-term,” the World Bank had said in its report.
The report also criticized key sectors of the Algerian politico-financial establishment, including health and education, stressing that these industries have become “increasingly important dimensions of deprivation.”
Despite noticeable improvements, the report went on, “large gaps remain and multidimensional poverty varies substantially by region and between rural and urban areas.”
In its response, APS claimed that the report “obscured all the good economic and social performances of Algeria.” As far as the Algerian news agency is concerned, the World Bank invented figures on “alleged poverty in Algeria at a time when all poverty indicators are green.”
Not content to only take issue with the world for supposedly inventing misleadingly bleak figures on Algeria’s development indicators, Algeria’s regime used the opportunity to yet again take a swipe at Morocco.
Read also: Economic Crisis, Not Security Is Most Algerians’ Top Concern
In whataboutism-driven remarks, APS appeared to have been particularly irritated with the WorldBank’s report for pointing at embarrassing data for Algeria while saying nothing about the “truths and real figures” of poverty in Morocco.
Adopting a tone of irony, the Algerian outlet hinted at a collusion between Morocco and global financial bodies. “We must protect this kingdom from evil and misery whispered by the bosses of the Bretton Woods institution,” APS said.
It went on to describe the report as an act of “flagrant interference by the World Bank,” adding: “This is a futile attempt to destabilize the soft power of a country which advances but which disturbs.”
While Algeria’s state media backs the country’s reforms and economic advances, several other Algerian news outlets have repeatedly spoken about the north African country’s alarming food insecurity and deepening economic crisis.
In November, Algerian news outlet Algerie Part Plus said the government is relying on imports for basic food products due to “chronic shortages” of consumer goods.
“Vegetable or fruit prices can double before going down again and relapsing for lack of consumers who are ready to pay hundreds of Algerian dinars for a few KG of products,” Algerie Part Plus said.
Meanwhile, a recent report from the Arab Barometer shows that only 2% of Algerians consider security concerns as their most important challenge, while the majority see economic fragility as the country’s most pressing concern.
Only 22% believed that the country’s worrying economic situation would get better soon, the Barometer noted.
