Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
December 23 , 2006

Renewable energies to contribute 10% to energy balance by 2012, Minister.
Ifrane, Dec. 23

Renewable energies are expected to contribute 10% to the national energy balance by 2012, against 4% today, said, here on Friday, Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Boutaleb. Speaking at a study day held in the mountain town of Ifrane (200 km east of Rabat), the minister said the solar energy chips in with 8% to the achievement of the global rural electrification program (PERG), asserting that the diversification of energy sources and the development of renewable energies are among the priorities of Morocco's energetic strategy. The minister underlined that the National Plan in this field includes new projects to produce electricity from solar and wind energies. The Plan aims to provide services of sustainable energy in the rural world, equip 150,000 houses, construct 1,000 energy houses, and efficiently manage energy consumption by the industrial sector. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/renewable_energies_t/view
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco's GDP growth to reach 7% .
20/12/2006

Morocco’s GDP growth rate is expected to reach 7% this year due to the fast pace of economic activity, Morocco’s central bank Bank Al-Maghrib announced on Tuesday (December 19th). The strong economic growth is ascribed mainly to a dynamic domestic demand, the Bank board of directors underlined at its quarterly meeting, noting that it reflects growth of non-agricultural sectors. Production factors and the upsurge of oil prices on the international market, as well as the substantial surpluses of liquidity that are expected to rise in 2007, indicate a persistence of the inflationary risks in the short run.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/12/20/newsbrief-05
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over 2,800 schools to be equipped with multimedia facilities.
Rabat, Dec. 21

Some 2,824 schools will be equipped with multimedia facilities and connected to Internet by the end of the 2006-2007 academic year. Speaking at a House of Representatives question time on behalf of the higher education minister, Secretary of State in charge of Rural Development, Mohamed Mohattane said this project concerns 1,613 primary schools, 761 secondary schools and 450 high schools. Noting that this program aims to secure a fast and effective integration of these technologies in education and training, Mohattane said that this project provides for a second stage that will concern 4,000 schools. IT generalization program is among the fundamental pillars of the national education and training program for 2000 through 2009, he also said.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_culture/over_2800_schools_t/view
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco needs to diversify economy to take up globalization challenges, IMF .
Rabat, Dec. 21

Morocco needs to further diversify its economy to take up globalization challenges and absorb the resulting shocks, said, here Thursday, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director, Rodrigo de Rato. Speaking at a joint press conference with Finance Minister Fathallah Oualalou and Governor of Bank Al Maghrib (Morocco's central bank) Abdellatif Jouahri, de Rato said Morocco, which benefits from a macro-economic stability, has launched important reforms and a process to diversify its economy.

The IMF managing director who participated in a conference on "Reforms of the Financial System and Financial Integration in the Maghreb" (December 20-21), praised Morocco's efforts to modernize its financial system, underlining that the kingdom is "heading in the right direction" in this field. He noted that the North African country must shift from a "subvention social policy" to a direct social policy, with stronger impact on poverty. De Rato also expressed IMF’s readiness to accompany the Mahgreb countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania) in their efforts for integration, which constitutes according to him, "a long and complex process". “IMF’s role is to help the Maghreb countries take up the challenge of integration,” he concluded.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/morocco_needs_to_div/view
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco ambitions to train 10,000 engineers per year.
Rabat, Dec. 21

An ambitious initiative aiming at training 10,000 engineers per annum by the year 2010 was launched, here Wednesday, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister, Driss Jettou. "10,000 engineers" initiative is meant to meet the needs in qualified human resources with a view to accompanying the economic take-off of the country. To succeed the operation, two conventions were sealed with nine engineering schools and institutes, and 13 universities providing for the training of 6,300 high-level engineers. Jettou told the press this move "crowns a long-drawn-out job that reflects our will to speed up the rhythm of training in engineering specialties, according to a new approach based on participation and partnership."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan research team makes promising findings on cancer treatment.
Oujda, Dec. 21

Moroccan researchers have recently managed to extract natural products from a medicinal plant and to assess their anti-cancer action on several leukemia and breast cancer cell lines. Natural components MZF22, MZF23, MZF31 and MZF4 were extracted from these plants, revealed a communiqué of a joint research team of Oujda (east) and Beni Mellal (center) universities, led by Profs. Ahmed Melhaoui and Abdelmajid Zyad. The chemical structure of these compounds was determined and a series of experiments were carried out to assess their anti-cancer action on five cancer cell lines, namely P815, CEM, K562, MCF7 and MCF7/gem. The document explains that, with very small quantities, these natural molecules causes a cytotoxity on these cell lines and eventually blocks their multiplication. The researchers, from the phytochemistry and pharmacology laboratory of the Oujda university, and the immunology, biochemistry and biology laboratory of the Beni Mellal university, say they are optimistic about the results, which pave the way for further research. Each year, some 35,000 to 50,000 of new cancer cases are documented in Morocco, according to figures published by the Lalla Salma Association to Fight Cancer. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/moroccan_research_te/view
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moroccan Solidarity Campaign collects USD 27Mn .
Rabat, Dec. 19

The 9th national solidarity campaign, run on November 10 through 24, raised some USD 27.2Mn, revealed, here Tuesday, the Mohammed V Foundation for solidarity. Some USD 13.5Mn were collected thanks to the sales of lapel badges and stamps and direct donations, said the Foundation in a press release, noting that direct projects' financing stood at USD 11.5Mn, while in-kind donations of food, clothes, health equipment and so on, reached USD 2.2Mn. Last year's campaign had raised some USD 25Mn, according to official statistics.

Established in 1999 to steamroller poverty, the Mohammed V Solidarity Foundation raises funds to distribute first necessity goods (food, clothes, Medicare and shelter) particularly in disaster-stricken regions and finance social projects throughout the kingdom. It also contributes during summer holidays in the return operations of hundreds of thousands of Moroccan citizens living abroad both in hosting and transit countries and at home.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/moroccan_solidarity/view
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

US company to build factory in Morocco.
17/12/2006

US company Minco is due to build of a high-tech electronic components factory near Casablanca, the company's CEO Dana Schurr said Friday (December 15th). The $17.6m-project is expected to create 250 jobs and include a training programme, Schurr said. The production of the Moroccan facility will be focused on the world market, in particular France, the US and Asia. Minco began fabricating thermal sensors in Morocco in September 2006, with a small team of 20 operators and 4 engineers in a factory provided by the Moroccan airports authority. (Le Matin, Jeunes du Maroc, MAP)
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/12/17/newsbrief-03
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morocco's Towns Without Shanties project moves forward, but not without problems.  
By Sarah Touahri     20/12/2006

In 2004, Morocco began removing makeshift homes on the outskirts of its cities. The Towns Without Shanties project has shown impressive results -- particularly in the city of Meknes. But problems persist, such as a rapid proliferation of new shanty towns and a lack of power of the authorities to manage this large-scale project. Morocco's Towns Without Shanties programme is making progress, but not without problems. Social housing Director Mohamed Najib Halimi says that the rate at which shacks are being torn down does not match the rate at which new homes are being built. Some people reject the principle of moving and do not want to pay. Others want their fees reduced. There are clear differences between the regions in terms of support and interest.

The programme, which began in 2004, is taking place in 82 towns where 277,000 families will benefit. According to the ministry of housing, the cost is 20.4 billion dirhams. The speed with which shacks are being torn down has risen from 5,000 per year in 2004 to 25,000 currently. According to Halimi, the goal is the demolition of 50,000 shacks each year. "This cannot take place without improved checks and the strict application of sanctions against all those infringing the law. Some towns, such as Souira, Fquih Ben Saleh, Fnidek and Béni Mellal, have managed to reach their set targets. A good number of other towns need to step up their pace to be ready by the expected deadline," he said.

Meknès is on course to be declared Morocco's "first town without shanties" in 2007. While most of the other built-up areas have reaffirmed their commitment to do the same by 2008, Casablanca's date has been pushed back to 2012, architect Kamal Idrissi said. Casablanca is a good illustration of the current rate of progress -- 64,000 families live in shanty towns, but so far only 5,900 units have been built, 4,000 shacks have been demolished, and 11,300 homes are in progress.

"How do you explain that, next to the demolished shacks, new shanty towns are springing up instantly from the void, like mushrooms?" Idrissi says. Some shanty towns, once removed, quickly spring up elsewhere, he said. Sometimes this happens within the same authority, and often with claimants setting themselves up afresh as seeking decent housing.

Halimi explains that the completed re-housing units have been powerless to reduce the number of families living in shanty towns. The annual rate of increase in the number of families living in shanty towns has fallen to 2.1% in 2004, down from 4.6% in 1994. But the number of shanty town families is increasing. In 1982, 158,000 families were involved. In 1994, this figure rose to 230,000.

According to Morocco's housing ministry, the programme relies essentially on housing solidarity fund resources. This fund’s expenditure is divided between the various components of the shanty town removal programme and other social programmes such as rural centre development. Halimi has called for those involved at the regional and local level to support the programme and introduce monitoring measures. The efforts must first be directed towards those towns under great pressure such as Casablanca and the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër region. Civil engineer Mohamed Tehoura says the measures adopted under the programme are laudable. But he worries about potential future problems "such as juvenile delinquency among those growing up in these districts, similar to what has happened in France". http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/12/20/feature-01
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fez to host seminar on cultural and religious dialogue.
By Imane Belhaj  21/12/2006

Morocco's ancient city of Fez will host an international seminar on cultural and religious dialogue in January. This will be an opportunity to announce Fez as the Capital of Islamic Culture of 2007. The Moroccan city of Fez will host an international academic seminar between January 8th and January 10th next year on the dialogue and co-existence of religions and civilisations. It is being organised by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) http://www.isesco.org.ma/ in co-operation with the Al Zawiya Al Khadra Association for Education and Culture, and the University of Karaouine.

This event will be an opportunity to announce the city of Fez as ISESCO's capital of Islamic culture 2007. There will be 25 academics representing Morocco from among 40 others from Arab, Muslim and European countries. The seminar will underline the role of Arab Islamic culture can play in furthering religious dialogue and strengthening cultural diversity. Participants will issue "The Declaration of Fez" on religious and cultural dialogue, which will be submitted to the United Nations.

According to the organizers, the seminar, entitled "The University of Al Karaouine and the dialogue of religions and civilisations", will call for the activation of the role of modern Islamic universities in instilling values of cultural diversity, dialogue and mutual understanding. Participants will particularly discuss the contributions of the University of Al Karaouine in its capacity as a centre of Islamic culture to the linking of civilisations and to religious dialogue.

The University of Al Karaouine is considered one of the oldest universities in the world. It began as an educational annex to the Karaouine mosque which was built by Fatima Bint Mohamed Al Fahri in 859 A.D. (245 H). Many Western scholars have graduated from there, and the mosque and the annexed educational institute have remained a centre for intellectual, cultural and religious activity for nearly a thousand years. Sylvester II (Ghibert Dauriac), who held the office of Pope from 999-1003, studied there. He is credited with the introduction of Arabic numerals in Europe.

The Jewish physician and philosopher Musa Ben Maymun (Maimonides) also spent several years teaching there. Islamic scholars from Fez who studied at the university include philosopher and sociologist Ibn Khaldoun and Lahcen Al-Din Ben Al Khatib, Ibn Arabi and Ibn Marzouq. Mohamed Adib Al Salawi, general coordinator of the seminar, told Magharebia that the opening of Sheikh Al Tawadi Ibn Suda Al Mari library in Fez will be announced during the seminar. "A call has been made to all writers, researchers and university teaching staff to contribute to enrich this library with their writings, or with books and publications which they have no use for, with the objective of spreading knowledge," Al Salawi said. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/12/21/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.