Algeria: Higher taxes to be imposed on petroleum products and plastic bags

Algeria’s official news agency, Algeria, released a report on September 17 entitled “Fiscal Law 2020: Higher Taxes on Hazardous Waste, Petroleum Products and Plastic Bag.

At a press conference held during the International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, Environment Minister Zeruwati said there were several taxes related to the environment, including a tax on cleaning up special hazardous industrial waste, a tax on petroleum products and a tax on plastic ba.

For example, the 2020 Finance Law stipulates that the tax on plastic bags will reach 200 dinars/kg, the minister sa.

It is estimated that the increase in the tax per kilogram of plastic bags still appears "insignificant", as there are about 1,000 plastic bags per kilogr.

Regarding the revenue from the plastic bag tax, the minister said that they will be transferred to the National Environment Fund, local government funds as well as the state treasu.

On the issue of ditching the use of plastic bags, the minister said that this needs to be done gradual.

The minister acknowledged that it was "difficult" to take down the plastic products businesses that were created in the 1990s as part of the original microfinance scheme, and she said consultations were under way with the companies to gradually switch to making paper ba.

The minister said that less than 3% of different types of plastics are recycled every day, or 200 tonnes a day and 73,000 tonnes a ye.

The minister announced that a month-long campaign against plastic will begin on September 21, which also coincides with World Clean Our Planet Day, with the participation of provincial governors, civil society, business and related fiel.