L'Algérie entre le Plan et le Marché: Points de vue récents sur la politique économique de l'Algérie

Abstract

ABSTRACTAlgeria's economic and social development in the last decade has been rather disappointing. This is the conclusion of the post-1979 public debate on Algerian economic and developmental policy. Yet analysts are divided on the reasons for this negative assessment. One main line of thought believes that the Algerian central planning mechanisms have been inefficient. This view proposes a decentralization of economic decision making—in order to strengthen local authorities' true planning power. The second school of thought is convinced that market prices as allocative devices have not been used in a rational manner. It is argued that even in a socialist context this is possible. Both view points are represented by prominent and influential University economists, and have already had an impact on the new Five Year Development Plan (1980–1984). The view held in this article is that the two opinions are not contradictory but could—and should—be simultaneously operationalized.