(Ecofin Agency) - According to Abderaouf Hamouche, Manager of the National Micro-enterprises Campaign launched in August 2015 by Algérie Telecom, in partnership with the Agence Nationale de Soutien à l’emploi des Jeunes (ANSEJ - National Agency in Support of Youth Employment) and the National Young Beneficiaries of Credits Association, over 1,200 micro-enterprises will be created in the ICT sector at the beginning of 2016. Talking on 15 November 2015 in Djelfa, during the launch of the last stage of this initiative which aims at "encouraging young Algerians, who have technical degrees, to enter the world of micro-enterprises in the ICT sector”, Abderaouf Hamouche explained that this is the current number of young promoters who have shown an interest in entering the ICT sector.

With the final goal of creating 50 micro-enterprises in the ICT sector per wilaya, the National Micro-enterprise Campaign was set up to generate interest for entrepreneurship within the youth and help the national telecommunications operator in its quest for qualified local companies with which it could work on its telecom projects. Indeed, the lack of service providers is slowing down Algérie Telecom in completing its fibre optic coverage expansion projects.

During three months, the National Micro-enterprise Campaign informed young people on the advantages provided by ANSEJ through the convention signed in 2011 with Algérie Telecom: trainings of 45 days to three months provided by Algérie Telecom, in specialities linked to ICT, including fibre optic, installation of Hertzian telephone networks, drilling works, etc., as well as awarding contracts to young promoters and credit beneficiaries. These contracts will guarantee revenues for their companies, the creation of jobs, while enabling the historical operator to continue developing the ICT and telecom sector.