The rapid growth of the digital economy has given rise to new professional activities and brought new legal, tax and ethical challenges. Algeria’s planned legal framework aims to prevent abuses in the country’s digital economy..
Algeria’s Minister of Knowledge Economy and Startups, Yassine El Mahdi Ouarid (pictured) recently provided further details on the Entrepreneurship Law his ministry is drafting. On August 18, 2022, he explained on his Facebook page that the law will not regulate freelancers, activities that are already regulated, or artisans. He explained that the law will regulate new economic activities that have emerged with the development of the digital economy.
Economic activities included within its scope are web influencer, e-marketing, app and web development, information design, and many more.
According to government officials, the law, which is expected to be presented to Parliament soon, will introduce a number of incentives, including online registration, streamlined accounting, preferential taxation and social security, and will allow eligible professionals to open business bank accounts and register their home address or co-working space as their address.
The draft law was approved by the Council of Ministers on July 13, 2022. The law aims to prevent abuses by web entrepreneurs. Indeed, on August 9, 2021, an Algerian court sentenced four web entrepreneurs to six months in prison for fraud and criminal conspiracy in a case known as “Futuregate,” which involved fictitious agencies claiming to provide technical support to students seeking to attend universities abroad.
The new law will encourage digital entrepreneurship, help young people find employment and reduce unemployment. It will also boost the export of Moroccan digital services, contributing to the national economy, Yassine El Mahdi Ouarid added.
Muriel Edojo
