In addition to uncovering non-compliant records during the screening of economic operator files submitted exclusively through the digital platform dedicated to the Provisional Import Program (PPI), it is the “massive” overall value of import requests submitted by economic operators—estimated at over 130 billion dollars—that has just been brought to light. An investigation will be launched by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion to conduct an audit of the goods requested for import.
The cross-referencing and processing of data on the digital portal dedicated to handling Provisional Import Programs (PPI), operated by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, exposed a series of irregularities. Following “unusual” and “suspicious” occurrences involving duplicate applications submitted by import operators, the evaluation of PPI files for the second half of 2026 revealed that 3,961 economic operators employing between zero and five workers submitted import applications totaling a combined value of 130.32 billion dollars.
These figures, extracted from the digital platform dedicated to importing raw materials and production inputs, raise sharp questions regarding the consistency between certain import forecasts, the actual size of the firms involved, and their registered workforce, as stated Saturday evening by the ministry in an official communique.
The data reveals that 149 operators with zero employees submitted import requests totaling 484.58 million dollars, while 949 operators employing just a single worker introduced requests valued at 21.84 billion dollars.
The total value of import filings submitted by 851 operators employing two workers reached 88.76 billion dollars, compared to 15.52 billion dollars in requests from 722 operators with three workers, 1.74 billion dollars from 641 operators with four workers, and 13.84 billion dollars from 649 operators employing five workers, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
An Import Audit Will Be Carried Out
“Behind this unprecedented situation, there is inevitably an anomaly regarding the value of import requests filed under the PPI, uncovered thanks to digitization,” affirmed economics and trade professor Brahim Guendouzi, according to whom importation in this instance no longer adheres to operational needs or company qualifications.
Assuming these stated needs were authentic, he noted that it would reveal a severe breakdown in foreign trade regulation, given that the nation exports roughly 39 to 40 billion dollars annually. Pointing out that imports exceed exports by 20 to 30 %, he emphasized that the total value of import requests submitted by economic operators represents more than double the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
The Ministry of Commerce has decided to take action and launch an investigation, in coordination with relevant ministerial departments, to conduct an audit of the raw materials, production inputs, and capital equipment imported by these enterprises during the first half of 2026 and preceding years.
According to the ministry, audit operations will assess the conformity of imported quantities and values with declared business activities, real production capacity, registered staff headcount, and the actual volume of economic activity of the firms involved.
The ministry stressed that the provisional nature of import programs in no way implies that forecasts can be detached from a firm’s economic reality or disproportionate to its genuine capacity and needs, adding that appropriate legal measures will be enforced based on the findings of the investigation and audit, in accordance with current laws and regulations.
Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Trade had already flagged non-compliant information during the processing of economic operator files submitted through the PPI digital portal for raw materials and equipment, made possible by automated data analysis and cross-matching mechanisms enhanced by artificial intelligence technologies. Thus, beyond streamlining administrative procedures, digitization serves as an essential and indispensable instrument for oversight and transparency.