FOM Newsletter May 2001
Morocco Week in Review
 May 12 ,  2001

The number of AIDS infected persons in Morocco stands at 804, including 20 children. The figures were disclosed in Rabat Friday evening by vice-chairwoman of the National Observatory of Children's Rights, Ms Tazi Malki at a dinner-debate on the upcoming world summit on children. Four out of the 20 aids children/patients were infected following sexual abuse, Ms Malki said, calling to foster the civil society awareness to this issue to put an end tothe ill treatment of children. She called for the involvement of all the components of the civil society in the defense of children and for the setting up of mechanisms guaranteeing the social integration of homeless children. After she stressed the need to adapt the Moroccan legislation to the spirit of relevantinternational conventions, Ms Malki called for banning all forms of child labor that threaten children's health and security.The dinner-debate, organized by the association of MAP's journalists (AJMAP), was attended by several personalities including advisor to the king, Zoulikha Nasri, and minister of human rights, Mohamed Aujjar.

The Moroccan second tv channel (2M) will air next May 18 a telethon to raise funds for children suffering heart diseases. Organizers wish to raise up to 15 million dirhams ($ 1.5 million) that will help finance medical costs for children suffering the diseases, especially those from poor families.  According to figures disclosed this Wednesday by the Moroccan press, some 6 children die every day in Morocco of heart diseases. Morocco intends to build a center for children's heart diseases. The area for the facility is already available in Casablanca.

Economic growth forecasts may have to be revised downward if a strong cereal harvest in the north of the country is offset by a worsening drought that has hit a large area running from Settat to the southern provinces. The partial drought has already destroyed 1 million hectares of cereals or 21% of the total crop, a figure that goes as high as 72% for the pre-Saharan provinces and 51% for the Tadla/Tensift region. (Source: Upline Securities)

The year 2000 saw some dynamism in the catering, construction, transport and communication sectors, while other sectors, in particular mining and energy, suffered losses of two and one per cent respectively. GDP rose by 1.9 per cent, the Board said, adding that a study of demand for the year 2000 showed a three per cent growth in local consumption - households 3.2 per cent, and public services 2.3 per cent. Exports and imports, excluding tourism, grew by 14.7 and 8.7 per cent respectively.

The initiative is supported by the MicroStart Programme of UNCDF in partnership with UNDP, and is managed by the Save the Children Federation. "At the end of the first phase of MicroStart Morocco, it is clear that UNDP can make a significant contribution to the promotion ofmicro-finance in the country," the release quoted UNDP Resident Representative Bouna Semou Diouf as saying. Diouf said more contribution could be made "especially in support of young institutions with a strong potential for growth." The total loan portfolio of participating institutions has surged from 600,000 to 5.4 million US dollars, the release said. It said the average loan size has fallen from 934 to 127 US dollars, an indication that the initiative was reaching the poorest communities.

Furthermore, it said the portion of the loan portfolio at risk of default has declined from more than 2 per cent to well below 1 per cent. The success of the initiative has helped build greater understanding and support of micro-finance in the Moroccan Finance ministry. It is expected to extend 10 million US dollars in loan capital from the King Hassan II Fund to help micro-finance institutions scale-up activities, with the MicroStart institutions among the main beneficiaries. The loans help clients working in sectors such as carpet weaving, cobbling, market trading, leatherwork and home production of a variety of products. Of the five Moroccan financial institutions in the programme, Foundation Zakoura made the biggest breakthrough, increasing the number of clients from 2,000 to 34,523. Foundation Zakoura operates 28 branches spread over 15 regions in Morocco, offering services in both urban and rural communities. At the outset, Foundation Zakoura had 10 branches, each using different methods and procedures. With help from a technical advisor from the programme, the institution revised procedures and staff training. It has now streamlined operations and quickly developed an efficient branch network. The Association Morocaine Solidarité sans Frontiers (AMSSF), is located in Fez and works mainly with clients in the busy markets in and around the city. Initially, operations were cash-based, but with the help of technical advice from the programme, AMSSF switched to a check-based system that has increased the efficiency and security of their work. Participating institutions have set up a national federation to advance the interests of the micro-finance sector and a database keeping daily records of all loans issued to help avoid repeat and default loans.

La presse économique marocaine vient de s' enrichir après le lancement, par le groupe Media Trust, d'un nouveau mensuel intitulé Business Magazine, rapporte "Le journal Hebdomadaire" dans sa dernière livraison (5-11 mai). "Business Magazine" est dédié à l'économie, au monde des affaires et aux nouvelles technologies. Le nouveau-né de Media Trust, éditeur des hebdomadaires "Le Journal" (francophone) et "Assahifa" (arabophone) vient enrichir un segment de la presse magazine marocaine occupé uniquement jusqu'à présent par "Economie et Entreprises" du groupe Success. Tiré à 15.000 exemplaires et imprimé sur les presses de Printone à Madrid, "Business Magazine" vise à "présenter l'économie marocaine sous un jour nouveau", notamment à travers des enquêtes et reportages sur des entrepreneurs marocains dont le dynamisme est méconnu du grand public. Les éditeurs de cette revue mensuelle comptent l'inscrire "très prochainement" à l'Office de justification et de la diffusion (OJD) dont le siège social se trouve à Paris, à l'instar des deux autres publications du groupe. Le numéro inaugural de "Business Magazine" est en vente dans les kiosques au prix promotionnel de 1 dollar.

RABAT, May 7 (AFP) - Moroccan prisoners live in unhealthy, overcrowded conditions in a system that is rife with corruption, a human rights group said in a report published in the Liberation newspaper on Monday. "Overpopulation, corruption, cronyism, disease and arbitrary practices" dominate the north African country's 44 prisons, the report by the Moroccan Prison Observatory (OMP) said. The report carried by the French-language mouthpiece of the leftist Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), the main party in Morocco's coalition government, also listed inadequate hygiene conditions, practically non-existent medical care, promiscuity, drugs, violence and under-feeding among the problems in the prisons. The report by the OMP, a non-governmental organization with representatives from several human rights groups, was based on a study carried out between February and July last year. The prisons, with a total capacity of 39,000, currently house some 55,000 inmates, with some facilities housing twice their capacity, the report said, adding that a prison in southern Inezgane was so overcrowded that some detainees sleep in the toilets. "Another serious problem is that of minors held in adult prisons where violence, sexual abuse and rapes have been observed," the report said, adding that children were being trafficked for sex. Many inmates depend on food brought to them by their relatives, who have to bribe wardens to be sure that the food is delivered, the report said. Commenting on the report, Liberation said: "The prison system belongs to an earlier age in Morocco. The system based on security first is a total failure. If this scandal goes unresolved any talk of reforming the Moroccan justice system is in vain."

Niger has asked Morocco to help it with rainmaking in a bid to combat serious drought and an ensuing famine threatening over three million people in the country, AFP reported state radio as saying on Tuesday. Niger's president, Mamadou Tandja, made the appeal during an official visit to Morocco last week. Artificial rain is created by spraying salt crystals into clouds. As the crystals capture water vapour and become heavy, rain follows. AFP reported a spokesman in Niger's meteorological office as saying the operation would be costly and would only be conducted in small designated areas. Niger has made an appeal to the international community for food aid.

The Consultative Committee on Human Rights (CCDH) has been given expanded powers and increased administrative and financial independence under a new decree. The Council will now be able to initiate its own investigations of human rights abuses, even in the absence of a complaint, and will submit an annual report to the King detailing the human rights situation and offering recommendations. Serving Cabinet Ministers will no longer have voting rights at CCDH meetings, and the Council will comprise 44 members: a President, 14 civil society representatives, 9 political party and trade union representatives, 6 professional association representatives, and 15 members appointed by the King on the recommendation of various organizations. The CCDH restructuring goes well beyond the requirements of international norms for official human rights agencies. (Source: Upline Securities)

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