Algeria’s 2023 Budget Accounts Reveal Strong Revenue Growth Amid Persistent Spending Pressures, as Parliament Reviews Fiscal Execution Law
By Dr. Hana Saada
Algeria’s fiscal performance for 2023 came under parliamentary scrutiny as Abdelkrim Bouzred presented the budget settlement bill before the Council of the Nation, outlining the definitive accounts of state revenues and expenditures for the year. The session, chaired by Azouz Nasri and attended by Nadjiba Djilali, offered a comprehensive assessment of budget execution within the framework of Algeria’s evolving fiscal governance.
According to the figures presented, state revenues reached 9,017 billion dinars in 2023, marking an increase of more than 24% compared to the previous year. This upward trajectory reflects, in part, sustained inflows from hydrocarbon-related taxation, alongside broader fiscal receipts. Total expenditures, however, amounted to 10,592 billion dinars, underscoring the continued structural weight of public spending within the national budget.
A detailed breakdown of revenues reveals that tax receipts accounted for 7,396 billion dinars, of which 3,856 billion dinars derived from petroleum taxation—once again highlighting the centrality of hydrocarbons in Algeria’s fiscal architecture. Additional income streams included approximately 87 billion dinars from state property revenues, as well as 1,342 billion dinars generated through the state’s equity holdings in various economic sectors. Notably, this budget settlement law is the first to be presented under the provisions of Organic Law 18-15 governing finance laws, marking a shift towards enhanced fiscal transparency and modernised budgetary practices.
On the expenditure side, transfers constituted the largest share, amounting to 5,339 billion dinars, followed by personnel expenditures at 3,213 billion dinars. Investment spending reached 1,188 billion dinars, while operational costs of public services stood at 354 billion dinars. The budget consumption rate was estimated at 72% of the total allocations provided under the supplementary finance law for the same year, indicating a gap between projected and actual spending execution.
Macroeconomic indicators presented alongside the fiscal data point to a growth rate of 4.1% in 2023, suggesting a degree of economic resilience despite global uncertainties. In its preliminary report, the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the upper chamber expressed satisfaction with the reliability and accuracy of the accounting data submitted by the Ministry of Finance, a conclusion corroborated by the Court of Accounts in its evaluation report.
At the same time, the committee underscored the need for further reforms to consolidate fiscal discipline. It called for intensified efforts to improve tax collection, reduce outstanding recoverables, and ensure greater maturity in the planning and execution of public investment projects. The report also emphasised the importance of grounding budget forecasts in rigorous, data-driven methodologies to minimise discrepancies between projections and outcomes, alongside accelerating the unfreezing of public projects with direct socio-economic impact.
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