صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
Algeria– Effects of the entry of the new instruction issued by the Bank of Algeria, regarding the regulation ofBenefiting from the tourism grant, a wide wave of controversy, after it enteredEffective immediately This caused confusion among thousands of citizens who had planned their summer trips according to the previous system.The new procedures required those wishing to benefit from
Tourism grant, the abilityFor 750 eurosBy obtaining an international bank card andWithdrawal of the grant value in the destination country,Instead of receiving it in cash, in a move that the authorities justified by fighting fraud and reducing the depletion of the country’s hard currency reserves.However, the decision was met with criticism, as observers considered that the violations were dealt with by imposing new conditions on all travelers, instead of targeting those involved in fraudulent operations, especially since the instruction entered into force without a transitional period that gives citizens and banking institutions sufficient time to adapt to the new mechanism.
The instruction also adopted the Civil Sunnah as a reference for benefiting from the grant, instead of the previous system, which was reflected in the conditions of a number of travelers who had made their travel arrangements according to the previous rules, only to find themselves required to fulfill new conditions in a short time.
The requirements for obtaining an international payment card have increased the intensity of criticism, in light of the different deadlines for issuing it from one bank to another, which may extend to several weeks, especially during the summer season, which witnesses great pressure on banking agencies.
Citizens also pointed out that some banks require opening accounts in local currency and others in hard currency, along with paying bank fees, and in some cases depositing sums of money as security, which many considered an additional cost that may prevent large categories of people from benefiting from the grant.
The authorities confirm that these measures are based on official data Reporting that more than 470,000 passengers benefited from the grant,
vs.About 100,000 fraud cases were recordedWithin a short period, these are the numbers that the government relied on to justify tightening control over the exchange mechanism.In the same context, professionals in the tourism sector revealed that some fraud operations were taking place through land trips to Tunisia, organized by travel agencies in cooperation with intermediaries, with the aim of enabling travelers to obtain the grant without undertaking actual tourist trips, which the authorities considered one of the most prominent reasons for tightening control over the mechanism of its disbursement.This controversy comes at a time when Algerians also face more stringent procedures for obtaining visas to travel to the United States, as Algeria is the only country in North Africa subject to the financial sponsorship system, which may reach $15,000, according to what the American authorities announced. The introduction of these measures coincided with the preparations leading up to the 2026 World Cup, which sparked widespread discussion on social media.
In the face of the escalating controversy, calls have emerged to adopt a transitional period or gradually implement the new procedures, in a way that balances combating fraud and protecting foreign exchange reserves on the one hand, and avoiding disrupting citizens’ plans and reducing administrative and financial burdens on them on the other hand, especially during the peak travel season.
Source:
“My press”
المصدر : “صحافة بلادي”
