FOM Newsletter August 2002
Morocco Week in Review August 3, 2002 

Jul 25, 2002 (Al-Bawaba via COMTEX) -- The number of Visa cardholders in Morocco increased by 700 percent over the past five years, making it the largest Visa market in North Africa. The amount of Visa cards distributed reached one million units this past March, reported Visa International.  Visa card numbers in the Middle East rose 31 percent in 2001 to more than six million and spending went up 24 percent to just under $31 billion. The number of Visa transactions grew by 30 percent to more than 131 million. Visa is an international payment brand. Visa-branded cards generate more than two trillion dollars in annual volume and are accepted at more than 25 million locations around the world, including more than 760,000 Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). The Visa organization includes 21,000 member financial institutions and their cardholders. - (menareport.com) By Mena Report Reporters (C) All rights reserved. Menareport.com http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=206w5778&Section=Countries&page=Morocco

Administrative Board of Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture Holds First Session

RABAT, July 25 - The Royal Institute of Amazigh culture is holding the first session of its administrative board in Rabat as of this Thursday.  The two-day session of the board, whose members were appointed last June by H.M. King Mohammed VI, will mainly look into the draft internal regulations and the draft statute of the personnel.  In an opening address, the institute dean, Mohamed Chafiq, said the speech of the throne delivered last year by H.M. King Mohammed VI has settled the issue of Morocco's cultural identity that has been of concern to Moroccans since the country's independence (1956).  The royal speech, he said, clearly highlighted the fundamental components of the Moroccan cultural identity, put an end to any polemic on this issue and rehabilitated Morocco's Amazigh (Berber). He added that the decision to set up the institute is the best token as to the resolve to promote Amazigh culture.

H.M. King Mohammed VI had announced the setting up of the institute in July 2001 to preserve and promote this culture and participate in conceiving and following up the process to integrate the teaching of the Amazigh language in the Moroccan educational system.  The institute will also propose appropriate policies to consolidate the rank of Amazigh in the national social, cultural and media space as well as in the local and regional affairs.

In his address before the institute administrative board, Chafiq insisted on the need to integrate the teaching of Amazigh in the educational teaching and in the socio-cultural and media space at the national, regional and local scales, in conformity with the provisions of the Dahir (royal decree) setting up the institute.  Chafiq voiced hope that the institute would participate in energizing the cultural movement and promoting a constructive dialogue in a bid to modernize Moroccan society and relieve it of useless taboos.

He announced that the number of searchers to be integrated within the institute will progressively increase to near one hundred and that the first cells of the temporary commission were set up. These cells are made up of some 40 members, he said.  Chafiq further hailed the dynamism of the Amazigh movement which had the initiative, more than thirty years ago to start debate on the damage cause by "excluding" policies mainly on the cultural level, while privileging the scientific logic in dialogue and wisdom in behaviour, despite all provocations and constraints.

Advisor to the king, Abdelaziz Meziane Belfkih, official spokesman for the royal palace, Hassan Aourid, the kingdom's historiographer, Abdelouahab Benmansour, and perpetual secretray of the academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdellatif Berbiche attended the opening session. MAP2002 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm

Morocco seeks regional corporation on maritime transportation.

In a bid to curb dependency on foreign trade vessels, Morocco's Ministry of Transportation has contacted several of their Middle Eastern counterparts to discuss possible cooperation in launching an Arab Corporation for Maritime transportation, reported Al-Hayat. The Ministry envisions the establishment of a transport firm linking east to west under the Agadir Accord, a free trade agreement that seeks to boost trade between Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco. The partnership will also include Algeria.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, global insurance companies declared the Middle East region a war zone and was subject to high-risk premiums.  Shipping companies operating in Jordan's Aqaba Port raised their fees in order to cover a 12.5 percent war risk premium surcharge, levied by international insurance companies for steering in a declared war zone. - (menareport.com)

Dutch globe-trotter ends in Casablanca campaign for Moroccan disabled children

Dutch globe-trotter, Henk Roolvink, ended on Thursday at a square in Casablanca a biking trip he had undertaken from Amsterdam to Casablanca to support Moroccan disabled children.  Roolvink, a professional photographer, set out on July 3rd and crossed 3,407 kilometers through Brussels, Metz, Lyon, Barcelona, Valencia, Almeria, Malaga, Tangiers, Kenitra and Rabat, before reaching Casablanca. The 32-year old man, who says he has fallen in love with Morocco which he had visited as a tourist, has been preparing for four years his challenge to raise funds for the "Save the Children UK-Morocco program." Safe from some light wounds in his elbow and knee after he fell and some slight mechanical problems, he says his biking trip went smoothly.

RABAT, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Morocco's cereals harvest reached 50 million quintals (5.0 million tonnes) in 2001/02, up from 45 million quintals in the previous season, an official at the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.  These figures which are preliminary estimates showed a drop by 21 percent in the output compared to an average harvest in the past years, the official said.  Details of the total harvest related to the 2001/2002 season, including soft wheat output are expected to be released next week, the official who declined to be named added.  He did not elaborate.

In May, Agriculture Minister Ismail Alaoui said that Morocco was expecting 2.4 million tonnes soft wheat, 1.0 million tonnes durum and 1.6 million tonnes barley in the 2001/02 season. The arable land planted in 2001/2002 also fell four percent to 4.6 million hectares (11.4 million acres) compared to the previous agricultural season, the latest official figures showed.

((Rabat newsroom, +212-37 720065 fax +212-37 722499, rabat.newsroom@reuters.com))

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