Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
September 30, 2006

Morocco inaugurates National observatory for violence against women.
Rabat, Sept. 27

Morocco inaugurated, here Wednesday, the National observatory for violence against women, during a ceremony chaired by Secretary of State in charge of Family, Childhood and Disabled persons, Yasmina Baddou. The observatory is in charge of the full implementation of the national strategy for violence against women operational plan (SNLCVF/PO), through coordination and assessment.

The institution is meant to strengthen national policies aiming to counter violence against women and to capitalize on all initiatives to strengthen endeavors to enhance women conditions. The observatory will be financially and morally supported by government funds and NGOs, Baddou said, noting the body will be endowed with all necessary material to achieve its mission. Over the latest years, Morocco has adopted a set of women-friendly measures to annihilate all forms of violence against women, launched crisis centers for beaten women and conducted sensitization campaigns.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/morocco_inaugurates/view
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Morocco to regionalise healthcare to provide better access to citizens.
By Sarah Touahri for 29/09/2006

Morocco has chosen to regionalise its health sector so all residents can have equal access to care. The initiative is welcomed with immense relief by professionals and the public alike. Potential obstacles are limited human resources and convincing doctors to go to rural areas. The Moroccan government has decided to regionalise its health sector so that equal access to healthcare will be available to all Moroccans. "It will no longer be acceptable for people in distant regions to suffer. Healthcare has become a top-priority practice," Professor Adil Bensouda, general secretary of the Moroccan heart and circulation interdisciplinary college, told Magharebia.

The level of healthcare infrastructures differs among Moroccan regions. Large hospitals and private clinics are concentrated in the Kénitra-Al Jadida corridor, on the Moroccan central coast near Casablanca. The imbalance has driven the government to consider setting up hospitals in the regions furthest from Rabat. Bensouda thinks regionalisation will be essential for the future and that localising healthcare is a top priority.
The idea is to bring doctors closer to the public. The first regional health directorate has been set up in eastern Morocco in Oujda.

The pilot scheme for decentralising health administration is being carried out as part of the plan to support health sector management. The Health Ministry hopes to expand the initiative to other regions over the coming years. The strategy will lead to improvements in everyday care for citizens.

Doctor Cherkaoui Ahmed declared that regionalisation in healthcare requires sustained effort. He explained that in a varied country such as Morocco, behaviours and pathologies are strongly influenced by the environment, as shown by geographical variations in birth rates, deaths in child-bearing and infant mortality, AIDS, goitres, tuberculosis, and road accidents. He feels regionalisation is important so that such differences can be considered when making plans and developing strategies.

Doctor Mohamed Boubkri, general secretary of the independent union of doctors in the public sector, fears the substantial lack of human resources could stand in the way of regionalisation. "We're not recruiting enough doctors into the public sector. There's also a noticeable lack of paramedics. These are some of the obstacles to regionalisation,” he stated.

Salima Berrada, a paediatrician, shares this opinion. She thinks Morocco must develop the necessary human resources and redeploy them according to the needs of each region. She says that most doctors do not want to practise in the towns and rural areas a long way from Rabat or Casablanca. "We have to think of a way of encouraging young doctors to settle in various regions. For this to happen, we must not simply set up an adequate health structure, but also provide leisure and entertainment facilities," she asserted.

Harmonising what is offered across the country will contribute to the improvement of service quality. Moroccans hope that regionalisation will live up to its promises so that all citizens will have easy access to health care.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/09/29/feature-01
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Morocco granted 2006 Confucius Prize by UNESCO.
9/24/2006

The Moroccan Secretary of State in charge of illiteracy and informal education, Anis Birou, received, on Saturday at Jining (China), Confucius prize for the elimination of illiteracy, attributed this year to Morocco by the UNESCO, reported MAP news agency. This international award was granted to the Moroccan Ministry of Education as well as the Education Administration of the Indian province Rajastan, in recognition of their efforts and achievements in the field. “It is no longer acceptable to see people stricken with illiteracy,” said Birou during the ceremony, highlighting the role of education as well as its necessity as one of the fundamental rights to practice the other rights. “It is alarming to know that 771 million people in the world are still illiterate and 103 million children in school age remain deprived of this crucial right,” he added.

The prize attributed to Morocco by the UNESCO, under the recommendation of an international jury, aims at encouraging the innovative experiences in the field. The Ministry of Education has established an educational programme destined to Moroccan marginalized teenagers from rural zones. It aims at giving young people, who recently quitted school, access to short training cycles to help them get back to their courses. It is also intended to identify students who are likely to leave school.

Founded by the UNESCO, the Confucius prize is an international award which takes the name of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=2&id=17191
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Telephony: Government to create 5,000 small companies.  
By Bachir Niah  9/24/2006

The Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, Aberrahim Harouchi, launched on Saturday in Casablanca the “LiajliCom” (for you) programme which provides for creation of 5,000 small companies of portable publiphones on behalf of people living in precarious situation. Resulting from a partnership agreement between the Ministry of Social Development, Telefonica Foundation, Ilaicom company and the General Confederation of Moroccan Companies (CGEM), this programme targets mainly the poorest 403 rural communes and 264 urban districts throughout the kingdom, as identified in the framework of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH).

The project aims to provide portable publiphones to be carried on foot or by physicals for the use of the general public. According to its promoters, the project, intended to fight exclusion and precariousness, represents a real social integration opportunity for thousands of poor, unemployed, and handicapped people, offering them low-cost and income-generating equipment. Harouchi underlined that this project is part of the Employment Initiative launched recently by the government and which aims at the creation of 200,000 jobs by 2008. The minister added that thanks to the GSM technology, these publiphones will enable the inhabitants of thousands to use public phones, thus sparing the time and effort they waste while looking for a means of communication.

The creation of these micro-enterprises constitutes a true encouragement for the personal initiative, which is inline with the philosophy of the INDH, stressed the minister, concluding that from now on the beneficiaries will be able to become actors of their own development through the creation of income-generating activities.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=5&id=17193
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The Top Reformer: Turning Challenge into Opportunity.  
Vol. 109    22.09.2006

Morocco's efforts to reform and develop its economy and infrastructure earned it an accolade from the World Bank as the top reformer in the Middle East and North Africa. Morocco has carried out many reforms in 2005 and 2006, and in January of this year the Morocco-US free trade agreement (FTA) came into force. On September 18, Salah-Eddine Mezouar, the minister of industry, trace and economic upgrading met with Holly Vineyard, the US deputy under-secretary for trade in Rabat to discuss ways in which the two countries can overcome any new challenges that have developed since the treaty came into force, as well as review some provisions of the treaty to assure there are no imbalances in benefits.

Mezouar told the local press that trade has improved considerably between the two countries, especially in the textile and garment sectors, which doubled their exports to the US in the first five months of 2006, compared to the same period in 2005."Significant" orders have been received from the US, according to Mezouar. He also said that US investors are becoming more aware of the Moroccan market. Increasing numbers are interested in the new opportunities made available by the FTA, such as paper, footwear, spare parts and food, which also saw a jump in some segments in exports to the US this year.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the ministry of trade, industry and economic upgrading is running a three-year, $2.5m project, called the Morocco Fast Track Trade Project, designed to help Moroccan business better adapt to and take advantage of the export opportunities created by the FTA. However, Vineyard pointed out that the two countries will have to schedule more visits by trade representatives and businesses to better facilitate bilateral trade.

Businesses setting up shop will find an increasingly friendly environment to work in, despite its ranking of 115 out of 175, up two places from 117 in the previous year. According to the World Bank's annual "Doing Business" report, the minimum capital required to start a new business in the country has been reduced from Dh100,000 ($27,206) to Dh10,000 ($2720.65). The country has made positive reforms in registering property and the transfer of property has become easier, as the transfer tax was halved to 2.5% of the property's value. Other tax rules were simplified, with multiple regulations compiled into one source.

Meanwhile, the tax system is set for further reform, as the EU granted Morocco 80m euros ($102.53m) specifically to facilitate taxation reform, in line with the Programme Indicatif National Maroc 2005-2006. The government is expected to continue efforts to enhance transparency, simplicity and rationality in the system. It is also meant to improve services to taxpayers. The grant is part of the EU's Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Programme, which is funding projects in Morocco in the areas of water, health, public administration and transport.

Furthering efforts to improve infrastructure, on September 15, the World Bank approved a $60m loan to build rural roads. Work will be phase I of the five-year second National Programme to Build Rural Roads. At the end of the programme, the countryside should be laced with 7900 km of new roads, which would help to facilitate reforms in agriculture as well as improve living standards and increase the provision of other government services to citizens.

Trade figures will also get a boost, as Morocco and Austria each ratified a double taxation treaty this year, though it was signed in Rabat back in 2002. The two countries are seeking to increase business ties, and Austrian businesses are being encouraged to use the North African kingdom as a launching pad for expansion into the rest of the continent. Trade between Austria and Morocco totalled a relatively modest 107m euros ($137.17m) in 2005, with Morocco exporting 9m euros ($11.54m) worth of goods more than it imported from Austria.

In addition, telecoms infrastructure and internet penetration are improving rapidly. Foreign companies looking to outsource or move operations a less expensive location are encouraged by Morocco's technological know-how and infrastructure. As a result, the call centre industry is developing at a healthy clip.
http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/weekly01.asp?id=2278
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Government determined to help farmers.
Med Capital Communication. 9/23/2006

Morocco is in a process of disconnecting its overall economic performance from the fortunes of a delicate agricultural sector. Even as the kingdom is diversifying its economy away from agriculture, it is working to develop the sector while still supporting farmers in an increasingly competitive market. Agriculture generally accounts for between 13 and 16% of Morocco's GDP and employs 45% of the workforce, making development schemes to both strengthen the sector and develop other sectors of the economy essential to the country's long term economic stability.

In line with both its overall development strategy and working to protect the sector from rising energy prices, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Aug. 31 that it would strengthen financial incentives for farmers. This will be in the form of allowances to cushion interest rates on credit. Also, financial assistance will be provided to farmers for equipment and materials to improve irrigation systems and mechanisation.

A statement released on the same day by the ministry said these measures are part of the ministry's policy to reduce the impact of rising oil prices on the agricultural sector. It went on to say that it would provide 1m certified quintals of cereal seeds and financial assistance to maintain cereal prices at MAD 100 (USD 11.57) per quintal and will continue to aid farmers in performing soil analyses. Approximately 80% of Moroccan agriculture consists of rain-fed cereals and vegetables, rather than citrus fruits.

The government is working to safeguard cereal production against drought, which in 2005 caused agricultural production to fall, though rainfall in 2006 has rebounded. The production of the three principal cereals harvested this year increased by 114% year-on-year. Assistance is also being offered to expand the cultivation of crops for export, while sponsored health programmes for livestock continue. Agriculture has also been adversely affected in recent years by the mismanagement of water resources, which total around 14bn cu metres for the entire country. This amount does not fulfil the requirements of the sector.

Observers are optimistic that with proper management and a commitment from farmers and authorities, this challenge can be overcome. The European Commission announced in August it had granted the kingdom MAD 600million (USD 69.36million) to fund phase two of a water management reform programme launched in 2002. Meanwhile, the autonomous authority of water and electricity distribution of El-Jadida has also announced plans to invest roughly MAD 34.22million (USD 3.96million) in water management. In 2005, the authority invested over MAD 20million (USD 2.31million) in the sector, up from MAD 13.23million (USD 1.53million) in 2004.

Other issues facing the agricultural sector are desertification of viable land, lack of infrastructure and mechanisation to efficiently harvest crops and carry them to markets, and population growth, which has led to the division of land holdings among sons of each family. As a result, most farmers live only just above the subsistence level.

To address these issues, the government adopted its 2020 Rural Development Project in 1999. In 2003, the World Bank awarded the programme a USD 25million loan to aid in financing the harmonisation of state efforts to improve the efficiency of public investment in rain-fed agriculture. In addition, farmers can participate in a new four-year USD 9million, US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded programme called New Business Opportunities, which is designed to help Moroccan businesses, including farms, to become more competitive under a liberalising trade regime. Production is subsidised and has been protected by import restrictions, though with the new Free Trade agreement (FTA) between Morocco and the US, which came into force in January, these have been largely abolished.

Morocco is also in negotiations with the EU concerning a new agricultural trade agreement, part of a road map to liberalise agricultural trade between the EU and other Arab countries in the southern Mediterranean. But the kingdom seems set on defending the sector wherever possible.

In the Moroccan daily al-Ahdath al-Maghribia, Hassan Serghini, director of programming and economic affairs in the ministry of agriculture, said what is important for Morocco is a satisfactory agreement for the two parties and not the date of its conclusion...such an agreement will not be signed to the detriment of the vital interests of Moroccan agriculture. Serghini also confirmed that the negotiations would be difficult and long. EU countries wish to export (to Morocco) products similar to those Morocco wishes to export to Europe.

Some observers worry that the issue will also cause problems for the entry into force of the Agadir Agreement, signed between Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan on February 25, 2004, to create a free trade zone. But Serghini addressed this and said that the non-customs barriers to trade will have to be re-examined by each national administration to ensure the smooth operation of trade between the signatories.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=5&id=17177
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Government signs agreement to promote very small companies.
9/21/2006

A partnership agreement for the creation of very small companies in the innovation and proximity field was signed Wednesday in Rabat between the Ministry of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, and the General Confederation of Moroccan Companies (CGEM). Signed by the Minister of the Social Development, Abderrahim Harouchi, and the president of the CGEM, Hafid Alami, this agreement envisages the installation of a follow-up system for this innovation process, in partnership with the World Bank. It also provides for the organization of a meeting on innovation, in collaboration with a certain number of partners.

The package earmarked for the application of this convention comes to MAD 1 million. It will be devoted to funding projects launched by young people, as part of a programme dubbed “Innovation and Social Proximity” (youth and development). Speaking on this occasion, Harouchi indicated that “this partnership comes in a particular historical national context, characterised by the advent of the National Initiative for Human Development”, launched by HM King Mohammed VI on May 18, 2005. This partnership, he added, “pursues the principles and values of the INDH because it aims at equipping the Moroccan human capital with the means for its emancipation”.

For his part, Alami expressed his satisfaction over the signature of this convention, reaffirming the CGEM's readiness to collaborate with the ministry to best apply this initiative. The Moroccan companies, he concluded, are aware of the importance of adhering to social action and to contributing to the workshops launched in this respect.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=5&id=17149
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2007 Daba aims to increase voting by Moroccan youth and women.
By Hassan Benmehdi 26/09/2006

The new 2007 Daba association is working to encourage young people and women in Morocco to take part in the 2007 elections as part of its efforts to revaluate political involvement in Morocco and to further develop democracy in the country. The new 2007 Daba association has the objective of revaluating political involvement in Morocco in the run-up to the 2007 legislative elections. The association set out its plan at a September 19th press conference in Casablanca.

The 2007 legislative elections will present an opportunity to judge the health of the democratic process in the country. The Moroccan constitution was revised in 1996 to expand parliament's powers to include budgetary matters, approval of authority and establishing commissions to investigate the government, according to MAP. The last parliamentary elections, which were held in November 2002, were considered fair, free and transparent.

Noureddine Ayouch, founding president of 2007 Daba, sees an opportunity to further develop Morocco's democracy. To achieve his vision of increased political participation, he has surrounded himself with ambitious Moroccans, the majority of whom are new to politics. His associates include Moulay Abdelhafid Elalamy, head of AGMA, Ali Ababou, CEO and member of the board of SGMB, Mohamed Abdeljalil, CEO of ODEP, Fathia Bennis, CEO of Maroc Clear, Salwa Kerakri Belkziz, president of the Moroccan Association of Women Business Leaders, Moncef Belkhayat, director of Méditel's commercial arm, and political scientist Mohamed El Ayadi. Ayouch stressed 2007 Daba arose out of what was seen as the alarming finding that the public, particularly women and young people, were showing a marked disaffection with politics. He feels the situation threatens the development of democracy in Morocco.

Ayouch reported at the association's first meeting with the media in Casablanca on September 19th that 50% of young people have not registered to vote, only 38% took part in the last legislative elections, 68% have no confidence in politics, 95% do not identify with any mainstream political movement, and fewer than 1% of women belong to political parties.

One of the major objectives for 2007 Daba is to give women and young people a renewed interest in politics and increase the voting rate of the groups by 25%. The association also wants to give the intellectual and economic elite the desire to make a concrete contribution to the parties.

Ayouch is planning to mobilise Moroccans of all ages for mass participation in the 2007 legislative elections. As part of the effort, 2007 Daba will call on authorities to ensure complete transparency in free choice for electors and to penalise any use of money or other illicit resources for electoral purposes. Ayouche says the time is ripe for civil society and political parties to work side-by-side to contribute to the development of a political culture in Morocco. The association, he says, "is not competing with the parties, but its objective consists basically of throwing itself resolutely into the process of building a modern, democratic society and contributing to the construction of a state that respects the rights of the individual."
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/09/26/feature-01
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Bikes wanted for Morocco
By Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter Sep 29 2006

A Peninsula dentist is seeking used bikes in good condition to ship to Flilou, Morocco. Ken Stones said is appealing for youth and adult-sized bikes for the village, located outside of Midelt in the Atlas Mountains. The bikes will be sent with a crate of building and school supplies in December. Stones and three dentists will follow next spring for a week to provide dentistry work. Stones said bikes are a valuable means of transportation for the villagers. Last year, he helped send bikes to Laos. He’s hoping to collect at least a dozen bikes. They can be dropped at O’Hagan’s Peninsula Cycles, on 152 Street at 17 Avenue.

Stones has been performing regular dentistry missions to developing nations for years. His first trip was to Brazil, followed by Guatemala, China, Peru, Cambodia, India, Jerusalem and Laos. Pain relief is a large component of his work there, along with tooth extractions and fillings. For the Laos trip last year, and this year’s Moroccan adventure, Stones has teamed up with Richmond Secondary’s Global Perspectives Program. He’ll travel with 28 students and four teachers whose goal is to build a schoolhouse. Stone’s dental assistant, Johanne McDonald, will also go along.
http://www.peacearchnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=44&cat=23&id=739869&more=
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Religions co-exist peacefully in Morocco.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat –24/09/2006

Morocco has long been a country that values its religious diversity. While many Muslim countries reacted negatively to the Pope's recent remarks about Islam, Morocco's religious leaders called for dialogue – a long-standing tradition in the North African country. Morocco is a shining example of a country where religions can coexist. The country showed considerable restraint in its reaction to comments recently made by Pope Benedict XVI. In a move typical of the country, which is calling for debate and reflection on both sides, the Moroccan ambassador to the Vatican has been sent back to his office in Rome after initially being recalled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation.

"People wanted to react, but not in a way that would worsen relations," Mohamed Kenbib, a historian specialising in Judaism in Morocco, told Magharebia. In his view there are no real cultural or religious issues at the local level; instead, Moroccans generally react to what is happening in the wider world, such as racism. He also points out that Muslims and Jews have lived together in Morocco for thousands of years.

Inter-religious dialogue tends to be initiated by personal contacts and institutions belonging to Muslims, Jews or Christians. Foreign Christians who live in the country say they generally live in an atmosphere of sharing and solidarity with Moroccans and hope that these links will be strengthened further.

Vincent Landel, the Catholic archbishop of Rabat, says his task is to help Christians live their own faith and respect those of others. He also says the Moroccan education system ought to provide courses teaching religious history so that Muslims can gain a better understanding of other faiths. Father Jacques Levrat of Beni Mellal believes in a world of brotherhood and close ties where religions and civilisations respect one another. In his opinion, meeting "the other" means listening at length and accepting differences. "Dialogue helps us get to know, respect and enrich one another… Our knowledge of other faiths is often partial or even basic, being based on stereotypes," he said.

There are several experiences which Father Levrat says show religious diversity and coexistence. The Bibliotheque de la Source in Rabat was primarily used by Christians after the independence. In 1980, with the agreement of the Church, it was opened up to Moroccan researchers, who came in large numbers from all over the country. Since then it has become one of the country’s leading libraries and is a meeting-place for Christians and Muslims where they can learn to get to know and respect each other and form bonds of friendship.

There is also the Groupe de Recherche Islamo-Chretien (GRIC, Muslim-Christian Research Group). Its team in Rabat is working together with other groups and has already been involved in the publication of four books written jointly by Christians and Muslims. "We’re making a particular effort to take the time to listen to each other, welcome others and accept them as they are and as they would like to be accepted," said Father Levrat.

Mohamed Youssoufi, an imam in Rabat, also supports religious dialogue. He believes it is vital to understand the principles of other people’s religions as explained by them, not on the basis of stereotypical images. 'The values which Islam extols are based on justice, respect for life, solidarity and listening to others. It calls for peace, dialogue and true coexistence. The Koran clearly advocates a rational approach to dialogue," explained Yousoufi.

Serge Berdugo, the general secretary of the Conseil des Communautes Israelites du Maroc (CCIM, Council of Moroccan Israelite Communities), says that Moroccan Jews are well respected and able to express their religious identity freely. He thinks that the harmony between Jews and Muslims is peculiar to Morocco. They have lived together for two millennia and this has given rise to a fusion of forms of cultural expression, he said.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/09/24/feature-02
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