Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
January 3, 2009

French first lady to donate to Morocco's anti-AIDS campaign.
2008-12-21

Following a five-hour "Sidaction" televised anti-AIDS campaign, the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy pledged to donate an unspecified amount to the cause in Morocco, AFP reported on Saturday (December 20th). Bruni-Sarkozy described the Sidaction event, held Friday, as a "unique example in Africa and the Arab world". Organised by the Moroccan Association against AIDS (ALCS), the event received pledges totalling 6.7 million dirhams, according to the local press.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2008/12/21/newsbrief-06
-----------------------------------------------------

Sidaction Maroc 2008 raises millions to combat HIV/AIDS .
By Sarah Touahri 2008-12-22

Morocco holds second telethon to raise funds against AIDS. AIDS organisations will use the money to help AIDS victims and raise awareness among the country's youth. The Sidaction Maroc 2008 telethon was held on Friday (December 19th), with participation from artists, sports personalities, NGOs, experts and government officials. With their help, the event raised 6,741,000 dirhams to combat HIV/AIDS. The live event, broadcast on 2M, Al Oula and satellite channels, raised awareness and secured donations for the AIDS Prevention Association (ALCS) run by Hakima Himmich. The initiative was the second of its kind, following the successful 2005 telethon, which raised more than 13.1 million dirhams.

According to Himmich, the funds are needed to provide care for people living with HIV and to prevent the spread of the disease. Some of the money raised will also be used to finance applied research projects run by the ALCS and partner organisations. "We're hoping to set up screening centres across the country," Himmich said. To guarantee transparency, the Association's accounts are regularly audited by an international office, and the funds raised by Sidaction Maroc 2008 will undergo the same audit process. A special Transparency Guarantee Committee has been created to oversee fundraising efforts and to ensure that the money is used for the purposes announced by Sidaction Maroc.

The evening featured reports, guest speeches, street interviews, testimonials, entertainment and music performances, and appeals for donations. The awareness-raising messages were aimed in particular at young people, who are the most vulnerable to infection. The programme included reports on existing projects and moving testimonials from people suffering from AIDS and from their loved ones. Viewers got a snapshot of AIDS in Morocco.

The Ministry of Health reports a total of 2,798 cases of AIDS since 1986, and a low prevalence of the disease. According to the most recent estimates, the number of people living with HIV rose from 14,500 in 2003 to 22,300 in 2008.

The story of a woman suffering from AIDS, who had been interviewed in 2005 with her face uncovered, was one of the most moving parts of the telethon. After the 2005 telethon, Fatima Abou Ali, who had been disowned by her family and friends, was able to move into a small flat with her children thanks to donations. "Society can be very cruel," Abou Ali said. "People should not be ignorant. AIDS is like other illnesses. You just have to avoid the ways in which it is passed on."

Egyptian actress and singer Yousra, who was moved by this story, noted that Morocco is the first Arab country to have launched such an initiative to tackle AIDS, which is often a taboo subject in the Arab world. Algerian Rai singer Faudel agreed. "It's the first African country that has dared to talk openly about AIDS. Everyone needs to join forces to wipe out this terrible disease."

Health Minister Yasmina Baddou commented that the government realises that "efforts to tackle the pandemic will not succeed unless a close partnership can be formed with frontline civil-society organisations that have first-hand knowledge of the situation."

Soumia Benchekroun, President of the Soleil Association, which helps children infected with HIV, explained that financial support is needed to help children. She reported that 90% of children suffering from AIDS were born with the disease, while 10% were the victims of sexual abuse or under-age marriage. A total of 116 cases have been diagnosed and reported in Morocco since 1986, with 96 of these children currently under tri-therapy in Rabat and Casablanca.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/12/22/feature-02
-----------------------------------------------------

Amazigh TV channel to make Moroccan debut in 2009.
By Sarah Touahri 2008-12-16

After much delay, Moroccan officials prepare for the launch of an Amazigh language television channel. An amendment to the launch agreement of the long-promised Amazigh TV was signed on Friday (December 12th) in Rabat. The TV channel is now scheduled to go on air in September 2009 after several postponements. This time, officials have vowed to stick to the scheduled launch date.

Communications Minister Khalid Naciri said that this amendment now paves the way for the creation of the legal framework and practical arrangements necessary to ensure that the large-scale media project will become a reality. A budget of 500 million dirhams to cover four years of broadcasting has been allocated.

The National Radio and Television Company (SNRT) will be responsible for the operational measures necessary to ensure that the channel is launched on schedule. "The new channel has almost finished recruiting staff, procuring resources and drawing up training plans, which will be implemented by SNRT employees and other partners," said SNRT President Faisal Laraichi.

The chief of production and programming at SNRT, Alami Khellouki, stated that a number of technical contracts will be put out to tender. "We plan to enter into discussions with production companies to enrich our programming, and will also run training sessions for staff. In nine months' time the channel will be ready."

The head of the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM), Ahmed Boukous, declared that his organisation was ready to offer the benefit of its expertise in Amazigh language and culture to the channel to ensure high quality broadcasting. "It will be a community-based channel. Its aim is to integrate the Amazigh community into Moroccan society. It's intended not as a folk channel, but rather as a medium which will showcase Amazigh culture, which belongs to all Moroccans."

The initiative has already drawn widespread praise as a way to strengthen the concept of a diverse and united Morocco. Khalid Naciri said that "the channel represents a new milestone on the road to the shaping of Moroccan national identity". Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar echoed this sentiment, saying the success of Amazigh TV represents a triumph for the diversity that characterises Moroccan culture.

Amazigh Moroccans hailed the long-awaited initiative. Teacher Rahma Beddioui stated: "The channel will make a real difference in public awareness, especially among those who know nothing other than Amazigh culture. Amazighs will feel that their identity has been enriched." Amina Bencheikh, a member of the IRCAM, said that "the signature of the new agreement is a historic event and will portray the Amazighs in a new light as an open, advanced and forward-looking community."

The general-interest channel, which will broadcast exclusively in Amazigh, will air a wide range of items including programmes devoted to fiction, sport, music, politics, society and culture, as well as the Amazigh language.----------------------------------------------------

Morocco retracts CEDAW reservations .
By Sarah Touahri 2008-12-17

The women's movement welcomed a move by Morocco to withdraw its reservations regarding the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. Morocco has retracted its reservations on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), King Mohammed VI announced during a speech on Wednesday (December 10th), the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Our reservations," the monarch said, "have become obsolete due to the advanced legislation that has been adopted by our country." The long-awaited move drew praise from civil society; the women's movement had made repeated calls for officials to take the necessary steps to apply the convention in Morocco.

Professor and researcher Malika Benradi noted that Morocco ratified the convention in 1993 with reservations, refusing to enforce any clauses opposing national or Islamic law. For example, Benradi explained that Article 9 deals with the right of a mother to transmit her citizenship to her children; a form of discrimination that Morocco abandoned in 2007.

Article 16 states that both spouses are equal at the moment of, during, and after the dissolution of a marital union. For example, under Moroccan law, there is no true equality between the spouses in terms of providing for one's household, which is solely the husband's duty. Benradi noted that "the retraction of reservations allows for progress, but it is already being debated, particularly with regards to religious issues such as inheritance."

Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity Nouzha Skalli expressed her satisfaction with the King's message. In her view, the move confirms Morocco's desire to be forward-looking in terms of women's rights. She added that "the withdrawal of the country’s reservations coincided with a number of other plans launched by Morocco," and "the country is well on the way to becoming an upholder of human rights."

The Moroccan Human Rights Organisation likewise welcomed the move. "Arrangements need to be put in place to enforce this international convention," said the president of the organisation, Amina Bouayache. She added that "Morocco now finds itself in a new set of circumstances. Other initiatives must also be taken, in particular reforms to the constitution and domestic law regarding civil rights and other forms of equality."

Khadija Riyadi, president of the Moroccan Human Rights Association, commented, "The Family Code needs to be amended, especially with regards to those articles that discriminate against women." She added that examples of discrimination pertain to "marriage with foreign nationals, the fact that legal guardianship is always granted to a child's father, inheritance, and polygamy."

The president of the Union for Women’s Action, Nezha Alaoui, noted that in withdrawing its reservations, Morocco "has removed all barriers to the establishment of full equality between men and women in the areas of economic, social and political law."

The president of the Democratic Women's Rights League, Fouzia Assouli, said that "the move was a minor revolution in terms of establishing the principle of equality between men and women – a principle for which the women's movement has fought for many years."

However, not everyone was pleased with the king's announcement. Mustapha Ramid, head of the Justice and Development Party's group in parliament stated that issues pertaining to Islamic law cannot be replaced. "We cannot lift all reservations to the point of achieving total equality, because this point is governed by sharia." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/12/17/feature-02
----------------------------------------------------

Spain and Morocco sign agreement for development projects.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui 2008-12-18

Spain signed its largest development deal on record with Morocco. More than half a billion euros will be spent on renewable energy, telecom and transport projects. The ninth round of a high-ranking Spanish-Moroccan meeting concluded last Tuesday (December 16th) in Madrid with the signing of a 520m euro agreement for funding development projects in Morocco.

The agreement encompasses 400m in soft loans for public projects, 100m in unconditional soft loans and 20m in grants. The Spanish Agency for International Assistance for Development will fund the first type of soft loans to procure Spanish services and materials for public projects to be implemented in Morocco by Spanish contractors. These projects will mainly be in the fields of renewable energy, the environment, and infrastructure, specifically telecommunications and transport.

Unconditional soft loans will fund public projects, whereas the grants will be used to fund feasibility studies of public projects, as well as provide technical assistance. Unconditional soft loans will be used to fund projects in agriculture, rural development, renewable energies, water and transportation. In addition to these loans and grants, Spain also wants to provide commercial export loans for the public sector in Morocco towards commercially sustainable operations and towards completing the terms of this latest agreement.

Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi expressed satisfaction about the accord, and added that "eight ministers from each country participated in signing the agreements, yet the most important thing is the strengthening of trust between Rabat and Madrid." Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero also commented, "This is the most important agreement to be signed by Spain; something that confirms the good political, economic, social and cultural relations between Spain and Morocco, a country that is undertaking an ambitious development program." Moroccan Minister of Finance and Economy Mohamed Mezouar, who participated in the joint committee meetings, noted, "This is an agreement to fund the different basic and structural projects of the Moroccan economy."

Rachid Bedoui, professor of economy specialized in Euro-Mediterranean affairs, told Magharebia, "This is the first time that an agreement is signed between Morocco and Spain on loans of this amount; a total of 520 million, which is a large amount of money."

"The Spanish government can’t just give this amount of money to a country in an arbitrary way," Bedoui stated. "There are a number of reasons that encouraged Spain to conclude such an agreement, including Morocco's new 'advanced status' in its relations with the European Union." "Through these initiatives, Spain is encouraging the reforms now taking place in Morocco regarding issues affecting Spain directly. With this agreement, Spain is rewarding Morocco for its efforts in combating illegal immigration and drugs."

Bedoui evaluated the agreement as being beneficial to both parties, yet commented, "Morocco will benefit from the development projects in the sectors of agriculture, water and environment. Still Spain will benefit more from the agreement through the many Spanish companies present in Morocco. Spain is also encouraging its companies to invest in Morocco as a way to face the economic crisis."

The Spanish prime minister announced that the first summit of EU and Moroccan leaders would be held in 2010 under the chairmanship of his country. Zapatero added that his country would "work throughout next year to take new steps towards increased cooperation between Europe and Morocco."
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/12/18/feature-01
----------------------------------------------------

New dinosaur fossils found in Moroccan desert.
2008-12-18

Fossils for two previously unknown dinosaur species were discovered in the Sahara desert region of south-eastern Morocco by a team of Moroccan and British archaeologists, local and international press reported on Wednesday (December 17th). One fossil is the beak of a pterosaur - a flying reptile with a wing span of 6 metres. The other is a leg bone of a new kind of plant-eater similar to the diplodocus, which may have been 20m long. "It's amazing to think that millions of years ago the Sahara was in fact a lush green tropical paradise, home to giant dinosaurs and crocodiles and nothing like the dusty desert we see today," MAP quoted archaeologist Samir Zouhri of Hassan II University in Casablanca as saying. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2008/12/18/newsbrief-07
----------------------------------------------------

Moroccan businesses dissatisfied with public information reliability.
By Imane Belhaj 2008-12-31

Public information is usually an invaluable resource for businesses, providing background on everything from regulatory law to taxation. According to a new study, however, Moroccan companies find the information to be incomplete, unhelpful or slow to arrive.

At a press conference in Casablanca on Monday (December 22nd), Said Essoulami, executive director of the Centre for Media Freedom - Middle East and North Africa, presented the results of a 2008 field study conducted on "Moroccan Enterprises and Obtaining Information in the Possession of Public Authorities". The study, the first of its kind, surveyed 300 enterprises in seven economic sectors. Researchers looked at how enterprises obtain information from the public sector, as well as the obstacles they face.

"The enterprises basically requested seven types of information: statistics; information on taxes and duties; information on public tenders; information on opportunities provided by economic agreements between Morocco and foreign countries; sectoral studies and reports; information on assistance and loans; and information on legislations" explained Essoulami.

The study indicated that enterprises were dissatisfied with the quality of information received from public authorities. A whopping 91.70% of the surveyed enterprises were of the opinion that the information received was incomplete; 77.30% believed it was not given on a timely basis; 70% said it was not useful; 50.30% considered it unreliable; and 48.70% considered the information unusable.

"The surveyed Moroccan enterprises reported many difficulties," he added. These included "difficulty in identifying the source, late acquisition or unavailability of information, [and] absence of people charged with the delivery of information in the relevant locations." Essoulami continued, "The authorities don’t provide any type of services to identify the source of information, in addition to the slow and high cost of processing applications for obtaining information."

"Morocco needs to adopt a law guaranteeing the right to obtain information from the state," Essoulami said. "Over 80 countries, including Jordan, had such legislation, and Egypt and Bahrain are discussing its adoption." "The field study," Essoulami stated, "indicated that Moroccan enterprises were aware of the pressing need to adopt [such] a law." This, he added, "would enable public authorities to not only organize their information to make it accessible to Moroccan enterprises, but would also make the employees more responsible and cooperative regarding the enterprises’ requests. This would help in gradually overcoming the difficulties facing the enterprises when they request information."

Essoulami expressed his regret that professional associations in Morocco, foremost among which is the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses, did not include in their demands the enactment of legislation guaranteeing the right to access information. The study showed that 99.64% of enterprises view the right to access information as necessary for the good management of their ventures. Only one enterprise was of the opinion that such legislation was not necessary, while 25 enterprises out of the 300 abstained from responding.

"Public authorities have to organize the enterprises’ access of information in a good way," said Hassan B., owner of a small and medium sized enterprise working in the service sector. The authorities must also "disseminate all the appropriate information on their electronic websites." "The state has to qualify administrative cadres … in charge of communication to provide a better response to enterprises’ requests," stated Moustapha G., manager of a small family business. "The ministries and public authorities have to adopt more transparency regarding the dissemination of information."

"The lack of information would usually lead to missing opportunities," said businessman Jaouad Chkib. "For instance, [enterprises] may be not aware of tax exemptions and how to benefit from them, may also miss the opportunity to take part in a tender; and may not be aware of the assistance and loans they can benefit from."

A source in the tax directorate who refused to identify himself said that enterprises were somewhat exaggerating. He noted that "his directorate usually conveys all the tax law developments adopted by the fiscal law each year". For instance, he added, "the fiscal law would be promulgated and circulated on a daily basis in newspapers until its ratification." An anonymous source at the Ministry of Foreign Trade concurred. "International economic agreements are not hidden from enterprises," he stated. "The government would first discuss such agreements and would then publish in the official gazette, i.e. the information in this field is readily available."
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/12/31/feature-01
----------------------------------------------------

Morocco expands access to Moukawalati programme for young entrepreneurs.
By Sarah Touahri 2008-12-19

For young Moroccans who dream of starting their own business ventures, funding aid will no longer depend on whether or not they have higher education diplomas. Morocco already offers financial help to graduates of higher education institutions who want to create small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Starting in January 2009, the Moukawalati (my enterprise) programme will open up to a broader pool of young business innovators.

The government-run initiative --limited since its 2006 inception to young entrepreneurs with degrees-- will be extended to applicants who have not graduated from professional training institutions, the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) announced November 29th at its annual convention in Marrakech.

So long as the beneficiary has a basic level of education and an idea of how business functions, he will now be able to use the programme's resources and access money to implement his vision. "Some people have a personal aptitude and a feel for business, even though they may not have a degree. Others, even though they might have strings of letters after their name, do not necessary have this aptitude," explained ANAPEC head Hafid Kamal.

Until this recent change, the Moukawalati programme was limited to Moroccans with vocational qualifications between 20 and 45 years who sought 12 months of financial support to get their business ventures off the ground. Expanding eligibility parameters may re-launch a programme that has been on the receiving end of much criticism for failing to reach its projected targets.

Along with the "Taahil" and "Idmaj" initiatives for reducing unemployment, Moukawalati was launched with great fanfare by former Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou on July 1st, 2006. The goal was to create 30,000 SMEs and generate 90,000 jobs by 2008. The actual results are not even close. Only some 1,114 projects accepted by banks have been financed, with just 3,230 jobs directly generated. "Now, the objectives are more realistic," Kamal said, admitting that Moukawalati had over-ambitious targets. Open now to non-graduates, the initiative aims for a revised objective of 10,000 businesses.

Almost one year ago, Magharebia reported that many young people ended up waiting too long for banks to process their applications. Statistics cited at the ANAPEC convention last month show that little has changed since then. Young people continue to encounter delays.

Aspiring entrepreneurs criticise the complexity of the procedure for obtaining credit. Applicants must prepare their dossier and set up a finance plan. Although they sometimes have no experience, they are expected to negotiate their loan rates. This task has proved very difficult for them. Bankers do not think twice about refusing most loans. Even when a loan is approved, applicants say that the processing time is slow.

Said Faraji, a young law graduate, wanted to set up a business to print and design advertising signs and brochures. After finalising his plans and renting the premises he needed, he found that waiting for the bank's answer was a real trial. "My family helped me to rent some large premises in Kénitra, and I even bought some equipment. But I’ve now been waiting in vain for two years to hear from the bank. I’ve had to abandon the whole thing," he says with disappointment.

He is not the only one to have suffered this misfortune. There are many others who have complained about the slowness of the process and the lack of confidence shown by the banks. Selma Baroudi, an Arabic literature graduate, wanted to set up a beauty centre in Rabat. "I had to find someone to help me get my application together," she tells Magharebia. "Once I'd put my plans together, I thought everything would then be straightforward."

Her initial hopes were dashed by the bank's slowness in processing her application."I gave up in the end," she says. Selma is currently working for another beautician and receiving around 1500 dirhams per month; this far below what she thought she could achieve running her own business.

Meanwhile, bankers defend themselves, explaining that some of the business proposals presented are based on pure conjecture. They refuse to back businesses which are not viable, they explain, because to proceed in such a manner would be to play a part in weakening the fabric of the economy.

Help may be on the horizon, according to Moroccan Banking Association President Othman Benjelloun. An action plan is in place to fix applicants' complaints. "New measures will be introduced to bring new dynamism to the Moukawalati credit process and simplify procedures," Benjelloun tells Magharebia.

Kamal agrees that there were problems with the banks at the start, but says that improvements have been made in partnership with the banks that have helped streamline the process. "One out of every two proposals laid before the banks is accepted. And even when a plan has been rejected, it can be taken to another bank. There are criteria which mean that finance will sometimes be awarded by some banks and not by others," he explained.

Extending financial resources to non-graduates will certainly boost the number of business ideas coming forward, Kamal added.

Training is also critical to the programme's success, says Houcine Itaoui, director of the Central Guarantee Fund (CCG), which underwrites 85% of the loans awarded by the banks. Moukawalati's problem, he says, rests with applicants' lack of experience and job skills. He thinks that opening up professional training to more young people will help the programme reach its targets.

There is yet another impediment to the programme's success. To help young graduates or professionals get their projects off the ground, it is essential to find appropriate premises, economics teacher Abdou Maloubi argues. ANAPEC's Kamal agrees that establishing workable business sites is a real problem for these nascent enterprises.
"Seed money could facilitate access to professional premises and be used to set up integrated projects," he said. "The idea is to set up a multi-departmental centre where you can have premises, support and access to finance."

Even though their enthusiasm has been tempered by criticisms of the Moukawalati initiative, young non-graduates are impatient to see the new policy allowing their inclusion take effect. Jaouad Fadeli has been working in his father’s carpentry firm for five years and hopes to one day become independent. “I want to employ about twenty people. My idea is to work on large orders,” he says enthusiastically.

Now that the entrepreneur programme has been opened up to young people without diplomas, this 22-year-old carpenter is eager to sign up. He has already started to put his plans down in writing with help from his elder brother, who has a degree in economics. "I’m not afraid. I know I’ll be successful because I’m already working and I know my way around the business," Jaouad says.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2008/12/19/reportage-01
----------------------------------------------------

Moroccan women emigrants hold first conference.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui 2008-12-26

The first assembly of Moroccan women emigrants recommended improving education and access to the family code. The first assembly of Moroccan women emigrants, organised by the Moroccan Community Overseas Council (MCOC), was held Friday (December 19th) and Saturday (December 20th) in Marrakech.

According to Idriss El Yazami, president of the Moroccan Community Overseas Council, the objective of the meeting "is to assess the progress made in the domain of women's rights in Morocco and within Moroccan immigrant communities abroad, in addition to attempting to create partnerships between Moroccan women abroad and their counterparts living at home."

The two-day meeting included workshops on "Women’s Role in Change," "Women’s Role in Fighting Vulnerability," and "Women’s Status in Arts and Media." The first workshop concluded that women are a major factor of change and need to be part of the political and economic arenas. The second workshop touched on human rights and social and domestic violence. The third group addressed the issue of women in cinema, theatre and literature.

Attendees said the gathering was an opportunity to get to know one another and exchange experiences and ideas to better women's position at home and abroad. Recommendations included improving education and access to the family code, enhancing the role of Moroccan women emigrants, and promoting professional training.

"Among the key challenges facing the Council at present is making use of all the ideas that were proposed in the assembly, investing in Moroccan human resources, as well as crystallizing programs of action and ongoing communication," El Yazami said.

Latifa Akharbach, Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, called for supporting the efforts of all activists working in women's and family affairs. Family and Solidarity Minister Nozha Skelli described the meeting as "a historic encounter that offers an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas among members of the community abroad. This is an invaluable treasure to this nation."

Separately, the Intercontinental Platform for Moroccan Expatriates demanded that the MCOC be dissolved on the grounds of inefficiency and lack of representation. The head of the group, Jamal Eddine Ryane, said, "Moroccans worldwide unanimously agree that the named council has not contributed in closing the gap within the community."

Ryane also said that the Council "is quite rigid and dogmatic, and therefore can be considered as non-existent. It also wastes many funds fruitlessly." He added that his organisation has a "project that is going through free elections so as to create a council that would represent [Moroccan emigrants] by the end of the coming year at the most."

Mohammed Ameur, minister for the Moroccan community abroad, noted that Moroccan women immigrants constitute 50% of the overseas communities, and that they are present in political, economic, cultural and social arenas.

In an interview with a Moroccan TV channel, Ameur said that women's issues are a prime focus in the government plan of action to improve Moroccan migrants’ conditions abroad. The assembly "is part of the national desire to highlight the rights of women, wherever they are," he added. "The event is thus a symbol of gender equality, which Morocco has been working on for the past two decades." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/12/26/feature-02
----------------------------------------------------

Morocco devises new strategy to protect tourism industry from global crisis.
By Sarah Touahri 2008-12-30

Under a new plan, the Moroccan government is taking steps to protect the tourism industry in the face of global economic decline. The Ministry of Tourism has drafted a new plan to protect the Moroccan tourism sector from the effects of the global economic crisis, with just one year to go before the goal of attracting 10 million tourists by 2010 is achieved. Visitor numbers for 2008 are expected to rise by 7% to 7.9 million.

The new plan – called CAP 2009 – is aimed at keeping Morocco attractive to tourists, said Minister of Tourism and Crafts Mohamed Boussaid. A raft of concrete new strategic measures has been adopted to anticipate and limit the impact of the global financial and economic situation on the sector, he explained. The plan was approved at a cabinet meeting held on December 17th and announced publicly on December 23rd.

In 2009 Morocco plans to do far better than the global average. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has forecast that growth in global demand for tourism in 2009 will be 0%, as compared with 2% in 2008. The Ministry is hoping to retain its current market share in traditional outbound markets and conquer new markets.

Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca and Agadir have been identified as priority regions. Efforts to promote Morocco will be aimed at Europe, the Gulf region and Russia. The plan includes efforts to develop domestic tourism, boost Morocco's image, encourage tourist loyalty and maintain investments in tourism.

CAP 2009 is also aimed at keeping Morocco attractive to tourists by boosting operators' confidence in large-scale projects and maintaining current levels of investment. This will enable Morocco to preserve its market share in foreign outbound markets through increased communication and close contact with tour operators, the media and Internet websites. Boussaid believes that Morocco has a number of advantages as a tourist destination. "Morocco is a nearby destination for European travellers in particular and offers a high-quality product, attractive prices and short vacation packages," he said.

The president of the Tourism Monitoring Centre, Kamel Bensouda, says that hasty decisions and action must be avoided at all costs. CAP 2009 will be funded by a budget increase of 10% (50 million dirhams) in the 2009 budget. The president of the Casablanca Regional Tourism Council, Said Mouhid, explains that this budget will make it possible to work towards specific targets, in particular entry to new markets.

The chief executive of the Moroccan National Tourism Office, Abdelhamid Addou, says that Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and the National Airports Authority (ONDA) must play their part in implementing CAP 2009. "The ONDA has announced adjustments to airport taxes on chartered flights. We have also always counted on the support of RAM with specific actions in certain outbound markets," he said.

All of the planned measures were drafted in agreement with the Ministry of Tourism and Crafts, the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT), National Tourism Federation (FNT), Tourism Monitoring Centre and Regional Tourism Centres to respond to the possible consequences of the global situation.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/12/30/feature-01
##########################################################

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.

Return to Friends of Morocco Home Page