Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
October 22, 2005

Mogador to New Orleans: Moroccan Association organizes music tour supporting Katrina victims.

Washington Moroccan Club (WMC), a US-based socio-cultural association, is organizing a fundraising music tour to support the victims of hurricane Katrina. The tour, which will be entitled "Mogador to New Orleans: 1st Ally Relief Tour", will feature music shows of "GnaJazz", a fusion of Gnawa and Jazz music genres. WMC said the event is designed to illustrate the two-centuries-old friendship between Morocco and the United States. But it is meant "more importantly to honour a good friend and ally" for having played a major role in the release of the 404 Moroccan POWs who were detained in Tindouf (south-west Algeria).

To organize the tour, WMC will cooperate with partners from New Orleans, the city which was hit by the disastrous hurricane Katrina last August. This will "ensure a direct and tangible assistance to the chosen relief projects," said WMC. The association will also cooperate with the Moroccan two satellite channels, 2M and Al Maghribya, to publicize the event and make it known to the Moroccan communities in North America. WMC will try to make an agreement with the TV channels to broadcast the concerts with the aim of attracting more donors. The American Red Cross and Freedom Corp. are two other partners of the event.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=10443
------------------------------------------------------------------------

US ambassador holds Iftar ceremony in honour of young leaders.
By Karima Rhanem 10/20/2005

The US Ambassador to Morocco, Thomas T. Riley, held on Wednesday, in his residence in Rabat, an Iftar (Ramadan breakfast) ceremony to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan and to honour young Moroccan leaders who have participated in exchange programmes between the United States and Morocco. Young Moroccan leaders from the civil society and political parties had the opportunity to debate and exchange ideas about religions, the role of civil society, Morocco's development and major reforms while sharing the Iftar. Other figures of different faiths attended the Iftar. The US Ambassador said "the aim of the gathering was to exchange ideas on cultural and religious traditions, and encouraging inter-religious and intercultural dialogue."

Earlier, on Monday, President George Bush hosted his fifth Iftar dinner at the White House. Bush spoke of the spirit and compassion of Islam and thanked the Muslims nations that have joined the coalition in the War on Terror. Bush, addressing American Muslim leaders as well as members of the diplomatic corps in the meal that breaks the daytime fast during the month of Ramadan, said all Americans share the common hope of a more peaceful world. "We must stand confidently in the cause of freedom - including the freedom of people everywhere to practice their faith in peace. We must also firmly oppose all who commit evil in God's name. I am grateful to the Muslim nations that have joined our coalition in the War on Terror - including many nations that have been victims of terror themselves."

The US ambassador to Morocco told the guests that President Bush has encouraged Americans to travel abroad and visit Muslim families to promote greater understandings. Riley added that the United States has added a Qur'an to the White House Library for the first time in its history.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=10439
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan Jews celebrate Tabernacles.
By Oumnia Guedda 10/18/2005

Moroccan Jews celebrated on Monday the first day of Tabernacles, a harvest festival commemorating the booths in which the Israelites resided during the 40 years they spent in the desert, before reaching Palestine. Tabernacles, one of the oldest and most joyous of Jewish holidays, is called in the Bible the Feast of Ingathering and today often called by its Hebrew name, Sukkot. The feast begins on the 15th day of Tishri, the seventh month in the Jewish calendar, and lasts for eight days (seven days in Israel).

The first day of Tabernacles was celebrated at the 13th day of Ramadan, noting that the holy month coincided with three main Jewish feasts this year. "We take thatch and palm branches one day before Tabernacles to build Sukkots for its religious value," a Moroccan Jewish woman told Morocco Times. "After praying, men get back home to eat and relax. Our table is adorned with different Moroccan dishes," she added. "It is a festival of joy and practical celebration for 7 days, commemorating the 40 years that the Israelites lived in the desert in tents...Sukkot means tent, booths,etc.," she said.

All family members leave the house, to take shelter in a tent or a booth for seven days, without light, refrigerator or lavatory. The family gathers to have a good time and to give thanks to God in recognition of His mercy, as the servants have today access to houses and facilities for well-being. The Feast of Tabernacles is today celebrated by having all meals in a lightly constructed booth roofed with thatch (a sukkah) to recall the shelters of the Jews when they wandered in the wilderness. The palm branch (lulav or lulab) and citron (etrog or ethrog) used in conjunction with prayers of the Feast of Tabernacles symbolise the harvest festival associated with the holiday. The building of the booths differs according to the regions in which Moroccan Jews live. During the 1950s, the Moroccan Jewish community included over 350,000 members. Now it consists of around 4,000, living mainly in Casablanca and the other large cities.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=10406
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan Associations organise ftour ceremonies in USA.
10/18/2005

Moroccan socio-cultural associations in the United States are organising a series of ftour ceremonies (fast breaking), entitled "Iftar", in many American cities in cooperation with the Moroccan airline company Royal Air Maroc (RAM). "Washington Moroccan Club" and "Houston Moroccan Alliance" organised on Sunday the first "Iftar" ceremonies in Silver Spring (Maryland) and Houston (Texas) respectively.

Twenty "Iftar" ceremonies, organised in the Moroccan way, are expected in many other American cities, on the honour of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish guests.

Hassan Khantach, Moroccan consul in Washington, who attended the Maryland ceremony, underlined that the presence of representatives of the three monotheistic religions in the ftour ceremonies aims at explaining Islam, exchanging ideas on cultural and religious traditions, and encouraging inter-religious and intercultural dialogue.

Michael Kirtley, the president of "Friendship Caravan", an American organisation dedicated to promoting multi-cultural understanding, affirmed that the gathering of the followers of the three religions reminds him "the golden Andalusian era, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived in perfect harmony. "Morocco is the land of openness, culture, and tolerance, and Moroccans are known of friendship, warmness, and hospitality," Kirtley said, noting that these ceremonies foster the "spirit of coexistence and understanding between the peoples having different faiths."

The Maryland ceremony was opened by Quoranic verses, recited by the Moroccan six-year-old Sara Abissourour. The celebration continued with concerts of popular music and Jazz. The Houston ceremony was held in the city's Arab Cultural Centre. Muslim and Arab Americans in addition to Moroccan survivors of the Hurricane Katrina attended the celebration. The ftour evenings also included drawing lots of two return tickets New York - Casablanca, offered by RAM.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=10399
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan associations join network to fight AIDS.

Three Thematic associations (OPALS, LMLMST, AMJCS) and non Thematic (AMPF) and (CRM) have joined the network of non governmental organisations working on fighting. The network, formed on Jan. 21, 2003 unites now about 26 associations, engaged in the social, medical and cultural development. It aims at allowing the exchange of experiences and the coordination of their activities.

To achieve their objectives, the associations fighting AIDS have implemented many strategies to inform people about AIDS. These include, identifying and utilizing communication networks, training field workers, locating and mobilizing opinion leaders, activating link persons, establishing rotating peer group discussions, and providing information and supplies at meetings. Despite their limited budget, the network has fulfilled some of its objectives, including raising awareness campaigns.

To spread awareness over the danger of AIDS and its incontrollable spread over Morocco, the network seeks media coverage of their sensitizing activities. The major associations working in the field of fighting AIDS in Morocco include ALCS, the first association set up in 1988 in the Maghreb and the Middle East to combat AIDS; OPALS, set up in 1994 by a group of doctors, professionals in the health sector and social science instructors to combat the spread of AIDS; and AMJCS, created in 1993 by a group of young Moroccans to fight against AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI).
http://www.moroccotimes.com/news/article.asp?id=10418
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Every commune to host at least one kindergarten, according to program.
Rabat, Oct. 19

A program on the establishment of kindergartens in rural and urban communes is to be gradually implemented throughout Morocco to provide day care for children below four. The convention on the program, dubbed "one commune, one day care institution", was signed on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Princess Lalla Amina, chairwoman of the "Moroccan League for Children Protection", part of the National Initiative for Human Development (French acronym INDH) launched this year to fight poverty and provide various social services.

The general partnership convention, to involve several relevant organisations, institutions and government departments, provides for the construction of at least one day care center for every commune in urban and rural areas. Children up to five year old can attend the kindergartens, according to the specificities of the region they are set up in, a provision of the convention says. The interior ministry is to run a census on the existing day care centers and to identify the needs in this field.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/every_commune_to_hos/view
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco intensifies precautions against bird flu.
RABAT, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet)

Morocco is intensifying precautions against bird flu although the North African country has found no case of the deadly disease, the Moroccan Agriculture Ministry said. According to a report released by the ministry on Monday, Morocco decided to step up precautionary measures in case of the spreading of the disease in Europe. Morocco has been monitoring possible outbreaks of bird flu since the beginning of this year, and putting poultry farms and wild birds on close watch, it said.

The country will maintain a ban on live birds and bird-related products from the countries affected by the disease, the ministry said. Authorities will put in place stricter quarantine measures at poultry farms, border posts and slaughter houses. The tightened measures came after Greece recently reported that preliminary tests found bird flu disease in a turkey and had narrowed down the virus to the H5 type. Further tests are needed to determine whether the virus is the deadly H5N1 strain. The strain was confirmed in Turkey on Thursday and in Romania on Saturday.
It has also been detected in Russia. It is believed that it is impossible for the disease to spread between humans, but a genetic mutation of the virus could start a pandemic.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-10/18/content_3638171.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco elaborates action plan to prevent avian flu

The government has intensified its precautionary measures against the disease. The government has worked out a national action plan to face any potential risk of avian flu, after Moroccan authorities started implementing a series of precautionary measures against the pandemic on Monday. The measures are mainly aimed at preventing avian-flu infected migrating birds from reaching Morocco, as officials said no case of the pandemic has been found in the country. The anti-bird flu plan was adopted on Tuesday at a governmental meeting chaired by Prime Minister Driss Jettou.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries has banned the importation of live birds and bird-related products from the countries affected by the disease. It said stricter quarantine measures will be imposed on poultry farms, border posts and slaughter houses. Minister of Health Mohammed Cheikh Biadillah has asserted that Moroccan poultry is healthy and the country remains untouched by the pandemic, reported MAP news agency. Biadillah told the Rabat-based press agency that the Moroccan government is collaborating with experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU countries. The newly-adopted action plan abides by a WHO recommendation, calling on governments to keep enough anti-viral drugs and regular human flu vaccines to inoculate at least 25 percent of their populations.

The High Commissioner for Water, Forest, and Anti-Desertification, Abdeladim El Hafi, said the government has decided to reinforce the bodies it established to trigger off the preventive measures against avian flu. "The anti-avian flu operation will require the deployment of more than 100 executives," he told Morocco Times. The government has decided to activate the National Commission for the Monitoring of Avian Flu, set up in 2004 to keep an eye on the epidemic's development in the world, report on the situation in infected countries, and guarantee the safety of the country.

A Ministry of Agriculture report, released on Monday, said the Ministry's veterinary departments are following the avian flu's spread at the global level, asserting that they have taken the necessary measures to protect the country. Government officials said Morocco has been monitoring possible outbreaks of avian flu since the start of this year, putting poultry farms and wild birds under the watchful eyes of the agriculture ministry.

Over this week, EU foreign ministers have been holding talks about the possible means to accelerate steps to intensify their measures against bird flu, which has lately been discovered in Greece, Romania and Turkey. They declared the spread of the pandemic from Asia to Europe "a global threat," urging international cooperation to contain the virus. The EU stepped up biosecurity measures and installed early detection systems along the migratory paths of birds in an attempt to prevent contamination of domestic flocks.

One case of H9 type virus was also detected in Colombia last week, and Bolivia summoned the South American Permanent Veterinarian Committee to consider the risk of the spread and the requisite measures to avoid it. In Greece the type of virus is yet to be determined. If it is revealed to be the deadly H5N1 strain, it will be the first case in the EU.

The WHO General Director, Lee Jong Wook, said avian flu is very likely to turn into a human pandemic, underscoring that it is just "a matter of time" before the H5N1 virus mutates into a type capable of being spread among humans. "This will be a pandemic. There's just one condition left: That the virus spreads quickly from person to person," said Lee in a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. The World Health Organisation predicts the infection of 25 million people and the death of 7 million around the world in a short spell.

Avian flu is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian flu viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans, WHO explains. In domestic poultry, infection with avian flu provokes two major forms of disease, characterised by low and high extremes of virulence. The low pathogenic form often causes mild symptoms, such as ruffled feathers or a drop in egg production, and it is for the most part uneasy to detect. The highly pathogenic form, instead, is far more dramatic as it spreads very rapidly through poultry flocks, engendering a disease that affects various internal organs, with a mortality that can go up to 100%, often within 48 hours.

All avian influenza (AI) viruses are type A influenza in the virus family of Orthomyxoviridae. Influenza type A is subdivided into a number of subtypes based on hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) protein spikes from the central virus core. It is feared that if the avian flu virus goes through antigenic shift to the point where it can cross the species barrier, the new subtype created could be both highly contagious and highly lethal in humans.

There are substantial genetic differences between the subtypes that typically infect both people and birds. There also are different strains within subtypes of AI viruses. H5 and H7 viruses are introduced to poultry flocks in their low pathogenic form. When allowed to circulate in poultry populations, the viruses can mutate, usually within a few months, into the highly pathogenic form. This is why the presence of an H5 or H7 virus in poultry is always cause for concern, even when the initial signs of infection are mild.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=10430
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco comes 78th in international corruption survey.
By Kaoutar Tbatou 10/20/2005

Transparency International (TI), an anti-corruption NGO, has issued its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for the year 2005, showing Morocco at the 78th position among 159 countries. n a press release issued on Tuesday, the NGO said that more than 73% of the 159 nations surveyed scored less than 5 points out of 10. Morocco, along with China, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Suriname, had an alarming 3.5-point score.

The results of the CPI offer a composite survey based on the perceptions of business people and country analysts. It draws on a series of polls organized by independent institutions in each country. For a country to be included, it must feature at least three polls. In Morocco, eight polls were organized among persons active in the fields of business, diplomacy, and university studies.

After the positive signs noted between the years 1999 (45th) and 2000 (37th), the course of the country's corruption index changed in an appalling way. In 2002, Morocco was 52nd on the list. It moved to the 70th position in 2003, the 77th in 2004, then the 78th this year.

Transparency Maroc (TM), TI's branch in Morocco, said "public powers should urgently understand the seriousness of the current situation, and its disastrous consequences on the accessibility and quality of the Moroccan public services, economy, employment, as well as the country's image and level of economic attractiveness." It is high time, Transparency Maroc said, that everyone played their role in the struggle against the phenomenon, although the major responsibility is to be shouldered by public powers. After all, facing the problem is not a mission impossible. "Corruption isn't a natural disaster: it is the cold, calculated theft of opportunity from the men, women and children who are least able to protect themselves," said David Nussbaum, TI's chief executive.

Within this framework, the Moroccan Government is called to take action in accordance with the United Nation's Convention against Corruption, and activate strong means to combat all those responsible for the phenomenon. Adopted by the UN's General Assembly in 2003, the Convention is expected to enter into force by the end of 2005. It aims at accelerating the retrieval of stolen funds, inciting banks to take action against money laundering, allowing nations to pursue foreign companies and individuals that have committed corrupt acts on their soil, and prohibiting bribery of foreign public officials. Morocco, represented by Mohamed Tangi, the Moroccan ambassador to Canada, was among the 94 countries which signed the Convention. But the country unfortunately still suffers from rampant corruption in the majority of its sectors.

"Leaders must go beyond lip service and make good on their promises to provide the commitment and resources to improve governance, transparency and accountability," Nussbaum added. To fight the phenomenon, TI urged all the countries to promote strong coordination among governments, the private sector and civil society to increase the efficiency of anti-corruption actions. Low-income countries have also been called to show a stronger political will against the phenomenon, and make public access to information about budgets, revenue and expenditures easier.

Iceland tops the list of the 2005 corruption index with a score of 9.7 out of ten. Bangladesh and Chad came last with 1.7/10. Among the Arab countries, Morocco figured on the 11th position. The Arab list was headed by Oman, 28th on the general list (6.3 points). Iraq (2.2 points) came last on the Arab countries, 137th on the whole surveyed countries.

TI, which defines corruption as "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain," is an NGO which was launched in 1993 with the aim of fighting corruption. The NGO is active as an international movement in more than 80 countries, including Morocco. Casablanca-based Transparency Maroc was created in 1996.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=10449
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco still lacks competitive private sector.
10/21/2005

The World Bank Board of Directors held, on Wednesday night in Casablanca, an Iftar-debate to discuss the bank's new Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Morocco, approved in May, 2005, reported MAP news agency. "Morocco does not have a private sector capable of creating an economic growth in order to meet the government's ambitions to carry out socio-economic projects for a sustainable integrated development," said Farid Belhaj, Chief Bureau of the World Bank. "A yearly growth of 6% is an objective necessary to absorb the phenomenon of unemployment and provide Moroccan society with the basic infrastructures," he added.

"The goal of the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for the period 2005-09, is to help Morocco meet its key development challenges, notably 1) accelerate employment-generation and sustainable economic growth, 2) reduce poverty and marginalisation, and, 3) improve the management and efficiency of the education system," reported the World Bank official website. Belhaj explained that it is not difficult to achieve this figure if Morocco had a strong, anticipated and competitive private sector, stressing the necessity to integrate other products in textile sector so as not to lose one's parts in international markets.

The CAS preparation was based on a participatory approach built on large consultations with different development actors in the country. "The CAS proposes a "base case" lending programme of about USD 300 millions per year as the World Bank's contribution to the Government of Morocco needs for external funding. This complements the World Bank's technical assistance and knowledge transfer activities in Morocco," reported the World Bank official website.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/news/article.asp?id=10482
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Economic growth rate to stand at 5.4% in 2006, minister.
Rabat, Oct. 21

The 2006 appropriation bill forecasts a 5.4% growth rate and a 02% inflation rate on the basis of a US$ 60 oil barrel and an exchange rate of MAD 9 to one US dollar, said Moroccan Finance minister Fathallah Oualalou. Presenting here Friday the 2006 appropriation bill before the House of Representatives, Oualalou said the balance of payment will be stable while the budget deficit is to stand at 3.2% of the GDP.

The State budget is to amount to MAD 167 billion, around 16 billion euros, to break down to 101 billion for operation expenses, 21.5 billion for equipment expenses and 44.4 billion to pay for public debt. Revenues would stand at 116.5 billion increasing 4.4% to 2005 and come from direct taxes to amount to 40.4 billion, customs duties 12.26 billion and indirect taxes 40.4 billion.

State property will bring in 227 million, monopole revenues 8.4 billion, privatization income 4.95 billion and lending payback and service 48.6 billion.
The finance minister said the figures show a streamlining of public expenditures, the improvement of public revenues and the expanding of ordinary resources in funding the state budget and dealing with public debt. Oualalou said Morocco makes big efforts in investing and equipping, adding the funds allocated for this purpose have been progressing steadily as evidenced by the building of various development infrastructure.
The total amount earmarked for equipment for 2006 would reach more than MAD 86 billion to be funded for 21.5 billion by the state budget and for 3.5 billion by the "Fonds Hassan II pour le développement économique et social" as well as by enterprises and public establishments for 49.14 billion, treasury special accounts for 6.5 billion, autonomously ran State services for 206 million and local collectivities 6 billion.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box5/economic_growth_rate_1/view
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco needs strong private sector, 6% growth rate to curb unemployment, WB.
Casablanca, Oct. 21

Morocco is wanting in a private sector capable of triggering an economic growth to meet the government's ambitious socio-economic projects underway with a view to erect an integrated and sustainable development. The statement was made, Wednesday, by officials in Rabat World Bank bureau during a debate on the new cooperation strategy of the WB with Morocco, dubbed CAS, Country Assistance Strategy.
Farid Belhaj, head of the WB office asserted that a 6% growth rate per year is an inescapable goal to curb the phenomenon of unemployment and encourage access to basic services for all Moroccan society strata.

Belhaj ensured that "reaching this growth rate wouldn't be difficult, had Morocco had an emancipated, forward-looking and competitive private sector," insisting on the need to diversify products (not to rely too much on textile) so as not to loose the international markets.

The official noted that the CAS, approved in May 2005 by the WB, sketches the framework of cooperation between the financial institution and the north African kingdom for the next four years (2005/2006). "CAS is based on the general goals aiming at stepping up a sustainable growth able to create jobs and reduce poverty and marginalization," he said. To optimize the objectives of the CAS, which also include reforming public administration, higher education and the retirement system, the WB suggests a yearly USD 250 to 350Mn assistance, and recommends a growing resort to pragmatic approaches and a better efficiency of the public action.

The World Bank also commits to take in charge the possible risks that might hamper the success of these goals, especially through systematically analyzing the country's political economy, sensitizing the important actors and providing targeted technical advice.
According to WB officials who took part in the debate, reaching these goals goes necessarily through the involvement, besides political officials, of economic operators and civil society actors, and setting up a good governance to better manage and execute socio-economic projects.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_needs_strong/view
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Voluntary departure operation to cut wage bill 13% from GDP in 2006, minister.
Rabat, Oct. 20

The national wage bill is expected to register in 2006, a 11.8 to 13% decrease from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a first in the history of the Moroccan public administration. These results were achieved thanks to civil servants Voluntary Departure operation launched by the government early 2005, as disclosed Wednesday by Minister in Charge of Public Sectors Modernization, Mohamed Boussaid, during the House of Representatives question-time.

The government has launched this initiative mainly to slash the number of civil servants (700,000 before the operation) and reduce the impact of the wage bill on the State budget. Civil servants who applied for this early retirement operation were financially compensated for the remaining period of their duty. Boussaid said the State budget will recoup the money paid to the departing civil servants (a total of MAD 12.2Bn, USD 1.33Bn between 2005 and 2007) in a 27-month period. 38,000 applications were approved, i.e. 7.5% of the total civil servants in the country, he said, assuring that this percentage will have no fallouts on the running of the public administration. The minister pointed out that 5.34% of the total number of civil servants of the health ministry have benefited from this operation, while this percentage amounted to 4.76% in the national education sector and only 4.56% of civil servants of the justice ministry have left.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/voluntary_departure/view
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco made real 'socio-economic take-off' in past decade, official.
Rabat, Oct. 17

Morocco has achieved a real economic and social take-off since 1994 after a period of poor socio-economic development between 1982 and 1994, said High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi. In an interview published Sunday in the Arabic-speaking daily, Assahra Al Maghribya, Lahlimi ascribed this take-off to several factors, namely the schooling of young girls, which augmented 50% in the past decade; the supply in drinking water, which more than quadrupled in the same period, and the supply in electricity in rural areas, whose rate increased from 5.4% and 7.9% between 1982 and 1994 to 43% in the subsequent decade.

Lahlimi asserted that these indicators have had a positive impact on the average poverty rate, adding that the number of families that live beneath the poverty rate has diminished from 8.19% in 1984 to 2.14% in 2004. The official highlighted that the fact of speaking about poverty, illiteracy, social disparities and the precariousness of housing conditions are no longer a taboo, adding that the most important conclusions to draw from the 2004 national census is that the policies adopted by Morocco aim to remedy these unbalances. Lahlimi went on to say that, based on the results of the census, his department has elaborated a 2004 poverty map for Morocco. The importance of this map, he said, is that it provides decision-makers (government, local authorities, elected representatives...) with the required data to reach the desired results http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_made_real__s/view
*********************************************

These postings are provided without permission of the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the identified copyright owner.  The poster does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the message, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.