Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
March 25 , 2006

Survey finds education, travel are main expenses for Moroccans.
New report on poverty, human development in Morocco.
US democracy committee to visit Morocco.
Moroccan proposals for MCA to be finalised by mid-April.
Over 26.200 new TB cases recorded in 2005, in Morocco, Ministry.
Launch of the Intel Teach to the Future program in Morocco.
Morocco Trip to Build Friendship with Islamic World.
Morocco Islamic Party to Fight Corruption, Poverty
WB loans Morocco USD 120 million to support administration reforms.
Violence against women: Morocco creates national observatory.
Family code: 'Moroccan family code marks noticeable democratic progress in women's rights', French official.
US cereals not to compete with Moroccan products, Minister.
USD 36Mn to encourage French SMEs develop their activities in Morocco, French minister.
Morocco reforests some 37,000ha in 2005, official.
PM launches AMO reimbursement operation.

Survey finds education, travel are main expenses for Moroccans.
By Hassan Benmehdi / 19/03/06

According to a survey by the Foreign Exchange Bureau, the main items of expenditure for Moroccan families are tuition fees and holidays. Pilgrimages account for 12.9 per cent of travel expenditure. In recent years, travel and education expenses have been the main expenditures of Moroccans. Figures for the first nine months of 2005 suggest that spending in these areas has changed little, while spending on business trips and healthcare has risen sharply.

According to a survey on Moroccan spending habits by the Foreign Exchange Bureau published this month, tourism accounts for 37.8 per cent of expenditures (1.922 billion dirhams), followed by school fees (28.3 per cent or 1.435 billion dirhams). Pilgrimages accounted for 12.9 per cent (655.4m dirhams), while business trips took an 11 per cent share (557.3m dirhams). According to the Foreign Exchange Bureau, the survey shows that in 2005, those particular activities accounted for 90 per cent of the money spent by Moroccans on tourism and travel.

The cases of Khadija G, Seddik Ghoufal and Rachid Z. are fairly typical of the annual expenditure of Moroccan families in that school fees and travel are of major importance to them. Khadija G is around 40-years-old, married and has two daughters. She spends 30 per cent of her annual salary on school fees and ten per cent on travel. Seddik Ghoufal, who works for a public company, spends 15-20 per cent of his annual salary on school fees. He is happy that the company he works for often pays his family's travel expenses. Rachid Z., who is around age 40 and has four children, says his school bill is expensive. With all four of his children enrolled in private schools, he spends around 40 per cent of his annual salary on school fees.

Given these fees, many lending institutions have moved into this area to respond to the needs of many workers. Major lenders in the market have been setting aside large sums earmarked for loans at the beginning of every school year. Loans generally vary between 2,000 and 10,000 dirhams.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/03/19/feature-01 
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New report on poverty, human development in Morocco.
March 19, 2006

Some 4,2 million Moroccans, which constitute 14.2% of the population, were poor in 2004, said the report on "Poverty, Human Development and Social Development in Morocco", submitted this week by the High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi. The report, comprising a hard copy and a CD-ROM, aims at giving a statistic and cartographic representation of the social condition in all rural and urban areas of the kingdom, and define the needs of each region in terms of infrastructure, and social, and economic development.

The database will be available for researchers, public administration officials, actors in the fields of economy, and the civil society, Lahlimi told the press. Lahlimi said that despite the increase of poverty rates in Morocco, which made a 2.3% decrease compared to 1994, the phenomenon still raises concern in rural areas. The report revealed that 27% of rural communes have a poverty rate that exceeds 27% of their populations. Among the poorest communes of Morocco figures Sidi Ali (Errachidia) with an alarming 80.21%, Dar Oum Soltan (Meknes) with 63.73%, and Haddada (Kenitra) with 59.22%). As for consumption rates, which give a clear idea about the households' social condition and their capacity to meet their own basic needs, the average rate of expenditure for each rural citizen is only MAD 15 a day.

The CD-ROM includes Arabic, French, and English versions of the basic statistics on poverty and social and human development in Morocco.
http://www.andnetwork.com/app?service=direct/1/Home/$StorySummary$0.$DirectLink$2&sp=l25056 
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US democracy committee to visit Morocco.
19 March 2006 RABAT

The Supporting Democracy Committee of the American Congress announced that a delegation would pay a visit to Morocco next week. The delegation aims at making a report to be submitted to the head of the Congress. The committee was formed in May 2005 to help countries which have recently become democracies. The Republican Congress Senator Dan Burton expressed his readiness to mobilise a campaign to support the democracy experiment in Morocco during his meeting with a delegation from the Moroccan Reconciliation and Justice Commission which is currently visiting the USA. Dan Burton said that the Moroccan Democracy experiment should be encouraged and should be submitted to the Congressfor support.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Reconciliation and Justice Commission headed by Idris bin Zikri has been met with the Senator of Indiana, who is also the Deputy Chief of the International Relationship Committee in the Congress, and reviewed with him the achievements in Morocco, specially political reforms. Meanwhile, the 'Al Tajdeed' newspaper, which is close to the Islamic opposition party Development and Justice criticised Moroccan newspapers that relied on American financial support for the American initiative of the Grand Middle East. The newspaper reported that despite the refusal of the Moroccan Journalists' Syndicate, they accepted American financial support.

It was mentioned that the USA granted $5 million dollar to the Moroccan media. Reports said that the American embassy to Rabat held a meeting with some editors to look for mechanisms through which the embassy will provide them money. On the other hand, the Moroccan Journalists' Syndicate expressed its displeasure at the American embassy activities. They refused the offer of American financial support, considering it within the framework of the American strategy in the Middle East, and such a strategy is helping American projects.

Meanwhile, the 'Social Union' newspaper, which is the newspaper of the main party in the government, said financing the newspapers should be subjected to strict legal provisions and prohibit any foreign intervention. The newspaper anticipated that the American intervention would provoke a dramatic reaction from the departments concerned. On the other hand, the Moroccan Human Rights Syndicate appreciated the reaction of the Journalists' Association, described it as a noble behaviour, and called others to adopt the same situation of the syndicate.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/March/middleeast_March482.xml&section=middleeast&col= 
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Moroccan proposals for MCA to be finalised by mid-April.
By Hassan Benmehdi - 21/03/06

Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou recently travelled to the United States to defend his country's track record with regard to the Millennium Challenge Account. Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou expressed his general satisfaction with the talks he had earlier this month with John Danilovich, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). "Much progress has been made and negotiations on the consultative process by which programmes are to be developed should benefit from the MCC's assistance," Jettou said.

In his opinion, meetings between the two parties helped them to progress to a point where within one month, Morocco and the MCC will be able to come to a definitive agreement on the Moroccan programme to be put forward for funding. Mohamed Chafiki, head of surveys and financial forecasting at the Ministry of Finance and Privatisation, announced that the programmes proposed for MCA funding are to be finalised by mid-April. Recalling the first phase of the consultations took place in Washington and Rabat, Chafiki said new elements will be added including the inclusion of micro-lending into MCA funding, dealing with the issue of self-employment, supporting small craftsmen and fishing, ensuring natural resources are preserved, and protecting the environment.

Chafiki also pointed out that the process of identifying programmes will begin with consultation of the partnerships and local authorities that deal best with constraints on growth and the limitations of anti-poverty projects and are thus in the best position to propose growth areas. During a press conference at Dar America in January, Danilovich said that Morocco was selected in November 2004 as one of the countries eligible for financial assistance. He added several US senior officials, including President George W. Bush, had been delighted by the reward for the efforts Morocco has made towards development. With regard to the sum of money itself, Danilovich said that the MCC would grant Morocco between $300m and $500m. He also expressed his confidence in the quality of the Moroccan anti-poverty programs.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/03/21/feature-01 
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Over 26.200 new TB cases recorded in 2005, in Morocco, Ministry.
Rabat, Mar. 21

Some 26.224 new cases of tuberculosis were recorded in 2005, in Morocco, a communiqué of the Health Ministry said on the occasion of the world TB day (March 24), celebrated this year under the theme: "Actions for life - actions toward a world free of TB". The decrease of the number of TB cases in the past nine years suggests a regression of the infectious diseases, but the registered decline is very weak, the communiqué said.

The health Department said the efficient fight of the disease should include, in addiction to public health services, currently solely in charge of dealing with the problem, other players of the Moroccan society components, both public and private, in partnership moves.
The Global Plan to Stop TB 2006 - 2015 is a comprehensive assessment of the action and resources needed to implement the Stop TB strategy and make an impact on the global TB burden.

World Tuberculosis Day, held annually on 24 March, commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch presented his discovery of the TB bacillus to a group of doctors in Berlin. This year, World TB Day will focus on the efforts of frontline TB care providers and their crucial role in stopping TB.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box5/over_26.200_new_tb_c/view 
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Launch of the Intel Teach to the Future program in Morocco.

Intel Corporation and the Moroccan Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research and the National Telecommunication Regulatory Agency announced the launch of the Intel ® Teach to the Future program in Morocco, which is a worldwide effort for teachers to help enhance student learning through the integration of technology into day-to-day lessons. At a press conference in Rabat, Martina Roth, Intel Teach To The Future Director EMEA, said 'The Teach to the Future program prepares today's teachers and students for tomorrow's demands, and incorporates the use of the Internet, Web page design, and student projects as vehicles to powerful learning and enhanced ICT skills.'

She added, 'Since opening our office here last year, Intel has been working diligently with the Ministry of Education and the National Telecommunication Regulatory Agency towards extending our educational programs to Morocco. And today, we are delighted to be launching such an important initiative. The launch of the Intel Teach to the Future program in Morocco is a testament to our commitment to the 'Intel Digital Transformation Initiative for the Middle East', which is a comprehensive, multi-year program that expands Intel's economic, educational and technology-related support throughout the Middle East and North Africa regions.'

Morocco's Minister of National Education and Scientific Research Mr. Habib El Malki, said: 'In today's IT-based economy, incorporating technology into the learning process in order to equip students for the competitive workforce of the future is absolutely crucial. We are confident that this education initiative will prepare students for the demands of tomorrow's world.'

The Intel Teach to the Future program has been created to help teachers expand the boundaries of their creativity, and the creativity of their students, beyond the walls of the classroom and to turn the power of computer technology into teaching tools that will captivate students, motivate them, and ultimately move them toward greater learning. Teachers learn how, when and where to incorporate technology tools and resources into their current lesson plans, create assessment tools, and align lessons with national standards.

Established in 2000, the program has since reached over 3 million teachers across 35 countries. In the Middle East, the program is being successfully implemented in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and recently celebrated the 3 millionth teacher milestone. 'The Intel Teach to the Future programme is not only designed to support teachers but for the needs and benefits of students in improving science, maths, engineering and technology education in the classroom,' said Karim Fahmy, Country Manager, Intel Egypt, LEVANT and North Africa. 'This will inevitably broaden career horizons both locally and internationally for them.'
http://www.ameinfo.com/81230.html 
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Morocco Trip to Build Friendship with Islamic World.
Friday March 17, 06
Mary Jean Eisenhower & Sherman Banks Lead Delegation NEW YORK, March 17 /PRNewswire/

A goodwill mission to Morocco this week will extend a hand in friendship from U.S. citizens to people in a predominantly Islamic country. Sister Cities International is sending a "Partnership & Peace Tour" to Morocco for a historic ten-day mission to build sister city ties. The delegation's forty-two members will be led by Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower and CEO of People-to-People International, and Sherman Banks, President of the Sister Cities International Board of Directors. Both People-to-People-International and Sister Cities International trace their origins to a White House Summit on Citizen Diplomacy convened by President Eisenhower in 1956.

The delegation will visit Rabat, Fez, Marrakech and Casablanca. They will hold meetings with several key officials seeking to set up new sister city ties and strengthen existing linkages. More than 150 wheelchairs purchased with donations from throughout the United States, will be distributed to needy residents during the trip. As part of the 50th Anniversary of the citizen diplomacy movement in 2006, the delegation will hold a conference in Casablanca with 150 attendees titled, "Reaching Out to Your Global Neighbors Through Citizen Diplomacy: Promoting Islamic - U.S. Relationships."

The delegation's visit to Morocco is part of the Islamic Peace & Friendship Initiative. After the tragic terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001, Sister Cities International launched an outreach effort to the Islamic world that resulted in a 33% increase in U.S. communities partnering with the Middle East, an 18% increase in partnerships with Africa, and a 3% increase in Eurasian sister city relationships. There are currently three sister city relationships between the United States and Morocco. Casablanca partnered with Chicago, Illinois in 1992. Agadir, Morocco linked with Miami, Florida in 1995 and with Oakland, California in 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060317/nyf013.html?.v=42 
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Morocco Islamic Party to Fight Corruption, Poverty
RABAT, March 24, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies)

Morocco's main Islamic party, Development and Justice Party (PJD) which is tipped to win the parliamentary election next year, will focus on fighting corruption and poverty, its leader said on Friday, March 24. "Morocco needs all its energies to tackle its problems and face its several challenges ... so we have to mobilize and rally all forces and synergies and we have to avoid being sectarian," Saadeddine Othmani, who could be Morocco's first Islamist prime minister, told Reuters in an interview. He said widespread corruption in the government's bloated bureaucracy was the main hurdle in the struggle against poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.

The government acknowledges the impact of corruption in the country and is considering setting up an agency to fight it. More than 4 million of Morocco's 30 million people are poor, and some 12 million cannot read or write, while the jobless rate is more than 10 percent, according to official figures. The PJD is the third-largest group in the 325-member parliament, just behind the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) which dominates a centrist coalition government with the nationalist Istiqlal party.

But, according to a poll by the US-based International Republican Institute, the PJD could overwhelm USFP and Istiqlal and win 47 percent of the vote compared to 29 percent for the two other parties together. Othmani played down the poll and predictions of a PJD win. "Predictions often do not coincide with facts and reality. So let's not think too far ahead and let's wait. Voter opinions can change and the polls are not for tomorrow," he said.

Christian Democrat
Othmani said his party could be compared to Christian Democrat parties in Europe. "The PJD is a political party with Islamic references," he said. Othmani and other party officials are expected next month to begin trips to France, the United States and other countries to drum up support for the PJD's program. "Our duty is to reach out to the other side (the West) and listen to what they say. We must have a way with the West and use the good manner to win acceptance and respect," he said.

The US State Department has reportedly drawn up a memo calling for direct and permanent political dialogue with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which cruised to an impressive parliamentary victory last year. If the PJD wins the 2007 election, it would be the first Islamist victory in North Africa since the Islamic Salvation Front looked set to win Algeria's parliamentary polls in 1991. The ISF had a commanding lead after the election's first round. The Algerian military scrapped the elections before the final second round, provoking civil strife that lasted more than a decade and cost about 200,000 lives.
http://www.islamonline.org/English/News/2006-03/24/article03.shtml 
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WB loans Morocco USD 120 million to support administration reforms.

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved on Thursday a USD 120 million loan to Morocco to support the government's continuous efforts to improve the effectiveness of public resource management, MAP news agency reported. "Public resource management is a key step for increasing growth and improving the quality of public services," a communiqué of the World Bank institution said. The loans to benefit from an 8 year grace period are repayable over a 20 year period.

The Second Public Administration Development Policy Loan for Morocco will be the second in a series of three single-tranche Programmatic Development Policy Loans (P-DPLs) that build on the public administration reform framework initiated by the government in 2003. A first loan was approved by the Bank Board on July 1, 2004. The reform program supported by the P-DPLs includes three components: budgetary reforms designed to improve the efficiency of public expenditure, a reform of civil service management, and measures to keep the wage bill at a sustainable level over time. All three components have both short term impacts on the current management systems and longer term effects resulting in a structural change in these systems. In parallel, the reform program is supported by a Programmatic Economic and Sector Work (P-ESW) activity through which the Bank is providing the government with advice, training, and knowledge transfer as required in the areas of budgetary management, civil service reform, and wage bill containment.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=13692 
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Violence against women: Morocco creates national observatory.

The Secretary of State to the Minister of Social Development, Family, and Solidarity, Yasmina Baddou, announced on Thursday the creation of a national observatory for fighting violence against women, reported MAP news agency. The creation of this observatory is part of a series of measures taken by the secretariat of state in cooperation with a number of partners, underlined Baddou, speaking at the ceremony of presenting the members of the piloting committee in charge of following up the Operational Plan of the national strategy for fighting violence against woman (PO/SNLCVF). As for these measures, the secretary of state pointed out that her department assigned a tripartite committee to take charge of the implementation of the PO/SNLCVF. The committee comprises governmental partners, associations active in this field, and research centres. She also underlined the creation a toll free number for women and young girls victim of violence. This number was launched in the 2005 national campaign for fighting violence against women.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=13675 
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Family code: 'Moroccan family code marks noticeable democratic progress in women's rights', French official.

"The new family code marks 'a noticeable progress' towards equality and the recognition of Moroccan women's rights," affirmed Françoise Nicolas, the Mayor of the French commune Vandoeuvre-Lès-Nancy and first vice-president of Grand Nancy, reported MAP news agency. "After the International Day of Women, I would like to underline that the new family code, which Morocco adopted to improve the status of women in the country, marks a considerable development towards equality and recognition of women's rights," said Nicolas in a letter addressed to the Moroccan General Consul in Strasbourg, Mohammed Alaoui Belrhiti. The French Mayor added that this measure is a democratic evolution in Morocco, inspired by the Moroccan Sovereign. "For our part, we hope that such measures will be taken also for the Moroccan community living in France," she concluded.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=13665 
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US cereals not to compete with Moroccan products, Minister.
Rabat, Mar. 24

US cereals will not compete with Moroccan products, since Morocco is a "structural importer" and cannot "produce enough cereals," said Agriculture Minister, Mohand Laenser said. He also called in an interview with the French-weekly speaking "Finances News Hebdo" on Morocco to launch reforms in the agricultural field to face openness, explaining that foreign trade openness is a stimulus to upgrade Moroccan agriculture. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Morocco and USA , which entered into force on January 1, is "only a stage in the Moroccan exchanges liberalization process," Laenser noted, calling on Moroccan exporters to redouble their efforts to be permanently present in the US market.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/us_cereals_not_to_co/view 
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USD 36Mn to encourage French SMEs develop their activities in Morocco, French minister.
Marrakech, Mar. 24

France has set up a USD 36Mn credit line to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop their activities in Morocco, revealed, here Thursday, French delegate minister of foreign Trade, Christine Lagarde. "This initiative aims to upgrade French SMEs and encourage a movement towards Morocco in terms of trade and investments," she said at a press briefing. Lagarde, who will take part in the 5th Euro-Mediterranean conference of Trade ministers, slated for Friday in Marrakech, noted the low number of French SMEs installed in Morocco, underlining "that it is not a question of a deficit, but of a lack of an exporting energy from these structures." She also hailed Morocco's economic policy, notably in infrastructures, tax legislation, liberalization and banking system, which contribute in "making Morocco an attractive country."

According to Lagarde, France will be, during this 5th conference, "extremely attentive to the issues of agricultural products access to the market and notably treatment of sensitive products." The French minister, who held Thursday a meeting with representatives of Moroccan businessmen and their French peers installed in the north African country, pleaded for a balanced trade balance between the two countries and an increased bilateral trade exchanges. France is the first customer, investor and supplier of Morocco. In addition to the "CAC 40" 39 companies active in Morocco, some 500 French companies are installed in the Kingdom.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/usd_36mn_to_encourag/view 
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Morocco reforests some 37,000ha in 2005, official.
Rabat, Mar.21

Morocco reforested some 37,000ha in the 2005-2006 campaign, revealed, here Monday, High Commissioner for water and forests and desertification control, Abdeladim Lhafi. The reforestation operation was to cover 39,000 ha, worth USD 33.81Mn, and planted some 47 million plants, especially cedar, thuja, Atlas cypress and cork oak, Lhafi told the Moroccan News Agency "MAP" on the occasion of the National Tree Day celebrated every 21 March. This campaign aims to plant fruit trees, develop revenue-generating activities and ensure a sustainable development that respects environment, he noted. Lhafi also said that forests provide some 10 million working days every year and energy for about 3 million households, in addition that they participated with USD 33Mn in the socioeconomic development of rural localities.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_reforests_so/view 
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PM launches AMO reimbursement operation.
Casablanca, Mar. 24

Prime Minister, Driss Jettou kicked off, here Thursday, the reimbursement operation of the Mandatory Health Insurance
(AMO) files. Speaking on this occasion, Jettou said that reimbursement is currently carried out in accordance with a provisional rating, affirming that dialogue is always open with the sector's professional representatives to ensure medical services for all the Moroccans.
Recalling that the AMO covers, in its first phase, civil servants, auxiliary agents and retired people of public and semi-public sectors as well as private sector employees and retired people, he stressed that this system will be extended to benefit more than 8 million people out of the 10 million people targeted, including 4,5 million in the public sector and 2,7 million in the private sector. Reimbursement is fixed at 90% if the medical care is carried out in public institutions and at 70% in private institutions.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/pm_launches_amo_reim/view 
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