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FOM Newsletter
March 2002World
Bank commends Morocco's progress in social realms.
Morocco cereal areas hit by
drought.
Regionalization,
inevitable path towards a competitive Morocco, minister.
Royal
marriage announcement heralds new stage in political practice of the kingy
institution.
Morocco's January trade
deficit down 20 pct
Spanish
company to invest $26 million in Morocco in 2002.
Sound
waves to keep dolphins away from death by fishing nets.
Two
French researchers win Mohammed prize for best thesis on Islam
Moroccans make 8.9%
of new immigrants in Quebec.
Rabat
urban commune approves cooperation convention with Italian Catania.
Egypt
and Morocco to collaborate on $100 million tourism project.
Morocco wants to
make of al-Jadida a tourism pole.
UNESCO's
international drama institute opens center in Morocco.
Rabat hosts Rhythms of
the World Festival.
World Bank commends Morocco's progress in social realms.
Politics, 3/28/2002
"Morocco has scored tangible progress in poverty non-monetary indicators, but much is yet to be done," says Nicolas Stern, World Bank (WB) expert. The expert, who follows the social policy implemented by the Moroccan government, told a meeting in Casablanca that the increase of public resources in social realms has helped to tangibly improve rural infrastructure (power, drinking
nwater, roads). During the 1990's the rate of rural population having access to drinking water went up from 14 to 42 percent. Rural girls schooling also increased from 28 to 47 percent, while maternal mortality in urban centers went down to 125 deaths per 100,000 births from 284, he said. Stern cited a WB study on Morocco as saying that the decentralization and de-concentration policy currently implemented by Morocco is promising for a greater participation of the local population in decision-making. The study also noted the amelioration of the business environment, revealing that 3 percent of industrial enterprises believe that the customs and ports services are a brake to export and import. The rate is very low compared to other countries, according to the study. Despite these efforts, much remains to be done, especially regarding the quality of services, education. The educational sector is unable to train skilled human resources needed on the employment market, WB expert deplored, adding that red tape remains a major obstacle to the generalization of agricultural technological innovation suitable to Morocco's weather conditions. The WB study, he said, showed that firms use half of their personnel to handle relations with bureaucratic administration. Stern concluded that Morocco should operate major reforms into its administration for a better use of public resources with a view to decreasing poverty and promote the investments environment.http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020328/2002032847.html
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Morocco cereal areas hit by drought.
RABAT, March 27 (Reuters) - Only 21 percent of Morocco's cereals areas are in good condition, with the rest hit by drought, raising fears of a third straight annual production shortfall, agriculture officials said on Wednesday. A senior agriculture ministry official said 38 percent of some 5.0 million hectares of cereals were in average condition in the country, among the leading grain importers in Africa because of frequent droughts over the past decade. "Around 35 percent of the area is in poor shape and six percent is lost. The poor areas can improve if rain falls in April," the official said. He said recent rains had raised average total rainfall in the country to 220 millimetres up to March 22. "The figure is still 21 percent lower than the normal average," he said, adding that average water levels in dams were also down on a year earlier. The cereals campaign had made a lame start with dry weather in September, October and November. "The total cereals area is 1.0 million hectares below our initial forecast because some farmers, quite rightly, feared another dry year," the head of a private producers association said.
WORST CAMPAIGN IN 20 YEARS?
The ministry official said it would be hard for Morocco to meet its initial target of a 6.0 million tonne harvest. The association's head expected the cereals harvest to reach around 4.0 million tonnes. "To reach this figure will depend on rains in April," he said, adding that the country would face its worst campaign in 20 years if dry weather prevailed next month. Less than 7.5 percent of the cereals area is irrigated, he said. The government had predicted a normal cereals harvest of around 6.0 million tonnes in the 2001/02 campaign, which runs from September. The harvest in the 2000/01 season was 4.5 million tonnes, up from 1.8 million in 1999/2000. Drought hit Morocco last year but not as severely as in the previous two seasons. Agriculture contributes 20 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product and employs around half its 10.3-million workforce. The ministry's official said fertiliser sales had risen seven percent to 669,000 tonnes this year compared with the average of the previous five years. ((Rabat newsroom, +212-37 720065 fax +212-37 722499, rabat.newsroom@reuters.com)) By Souhail Karam © Reuters 200
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Regionalization, inevitable path towards a competitive Morocco, minister.
Economics, 3/28/2002
Moroccan interior minister, Driss Jettou, on Thursday stressed that regionalization is an inevitable path towards competitiveness. Morocco has embarked under the leadership of King Mohammed VI on a vast movement of reforms that touches all political, economic, social and cultural realms, Jettou told the opening session of a meeting in Casablanca on regionalization and
local development. The construction of a democratic nation, the consolidation of the rule of law, and the building up of a fair, egalitarian society as well as the promotion of a sound, solid and competitive economy are the major fields of action in the country, he said. The minister underlined that King Mohammed VI wants to make of the region an engine for a new arsenal of territorial management. Regional investment centers, whose creation was decided by the king, are called to contribute to the creation of enterprises, backing investments and regional economy and competitiveness, he said. The government is currently studying a series of measures to complete the existing arsenal, the prime objective being to create a renovated and modern territorial, economic and social management, he said, calling on the private sector to contribute to the drive. The meeting is debating issues related to public approach to development and the strategies of professional associations in matters of local development.http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020328/2002032846.html
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Royal marriage announcement heralds new stage in political practice of the kingy institution.
Politics, 3/23/2002
Moroccan daily Attajdid comments this Saturday that the decision to publicly announce the marriage of King Mohammed VI with Lalla Salma heralds "a new stage in the political practice of the kingy institution." In a front page story titled "the marriage of H.M. the King and the quiet revolution of the monarchy traditions," the paper which notes that this is the first time in Moroccan history that a royal marriage is announced, inscribes this approach in the ongoing social evolution in Morocco and the country's supreme reference of Islam. For Attajdid, this is clearly a quiet revolution under the leadership of HM king Mohammed VI, on the basis of the monarchy renovation in the respect of constant features and breaking with traditions that met requirements of a given historical period. After it recalled that the king's marriage is taking place four decades after the marriage of the late king Hassan II, a period during which the Moroccan society has
witnessed major changes in its traditions and customs, the daily notes that it is normal that the royal family be in tune with the changes while respecting the Islamic law (Sharia). The author goes on that the marriage announcement reflects the king's vision regarding the status of women.http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020323/2002032332.html
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Morocco's January trade deficit down 20 pct
RABAT, March 25 (Reuters) - Morocco's trade deficit in January stood at 3.31 billion dirhams ($284.5 million), down 19.9 percent from the same month of 2001, a state body said on Monday.
Foreign trade regulatory Office des Changes said imports fell 8.3 percent to 9.72 billion dirhams in January while exports inched down to 6.41 billion dirhams from 6.46 a year earlier. The cover ratio of exports to imports improved to 65.9 percent from 61 percent, it said in a report released on its official web site. The drop in exports stemmed mainly from foodstuff merchandises which slid 10.5 percent, while drops in imports of energy and consumer goods by 27.7 and 14.4 percent respectively explained the negative performance in imports, it added. The European Union accounts for around two thirds of Morocco's foreign trade. ($1=11.635 Moroccan dirhams)(Rabat newsroom, +212-37 720065 fax +212-37 722499, rabat.newsroom@reuters.com)
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Spanish company to invest $26 million in Morocco in 2002.
March 24, 2002
Spanish investment Company, Compania Espanola de Financiacion del Desarrollo (Cofides), plans to
invest 300 million Moroccan dirhams ($26 million) in Morocco in the year 2002. The majority of the funds will be injected into the North African state's tourism sector, reported the BNA news agency. Cofides, which backs development projects carried out by Spanish firms, has so far financed 20 Moroccan projects worth some $152 million in various sectors including pharmaceutical industries, textiles and agribusiness. A Cofides business delegation is currently visiting the Souss Massa region of southern Morocco, to explore investment opportunities in the fields of tourism, agriculture and fisheries. Sponsored by the Spanish Government, Cofides' main objective is to encourage Spanish companies to make productive investments in developing countries in order to contribute, on the grounds of profitability, both to the industrial development of such countries and the internationalization of Spanish businesses. - (menareport.com)http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?j34546998&w=550371
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Sound waves to keep dolphins away from death by fishing nets.
Environment, 3/26/2002
Morocco has decided to generalize the diffusion of sound waves in water to keep dolphins away from fishing nets, especially in the Mediterranean, the Moroccan Sea Research Institute said Monday in a release. The method has already been tested and proved efficient off the Moroccan northern town of Al-Hoceima, the Institute said. Developed in Tunisia, the method consists of emitting waves at the same pitch level as those of dauphins in a bid to jam the target image of the dauphins. Large dolphins, known as negros for their black skin, are often found in the fishing nets. Their attacks of the catches usually entail loses and threaten their lives. The negro dolphins attacks are said to be the major problem of sardine ships operating in the Mediterranean.The mammals are very powerful, measuring 2.5 to 3.5 meters long. They usually attack in schools of five to six.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020326/2002032626.html
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Two French researchers win Mohammed prize for best thesis on Islam
Religion, 3/26/2002
Young French researchers, Remy Madinier and Jean-Pierre Van Staevel, were awarded on Monday the first Mohammed VI prize for the best thesis on Islam and Islamic world societies. The prize was given by the Institute for Islam and Islamic world Societies Studies (IISMM) to Madinier for his thesis entitled "L'urne, l'etoile et le croissant: le Masjumi 1945-1960, and Jean-Pierre Van Staevel for his study "Les usagers de la ville. Madinier's thesis is about an Islamic Indonesian party, the Masjumi, which existed between 1945 and 1960, and militated not to create an Islamic state, but a state based on the principles of Islam. The thesis of joint winner, Jean-Pierre Van Staevel, is a normative discourse on urban housing and construction in the medieval West ( X and XIV centuries) The prize for best thesis on Islam and Islamic world societies, worth 100,000 FF, rewards students who have conducted research on Islam and the Islamic World societies in the fields of linguistics, law, economy, urban studies, geography, sociology, anthropology, and musicology at the institute of Islamic studies and Islamic World Societies (IISMM). It was created in November by Morocco and the French social sciences school.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020326/2002032633.html
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Moroccans make 8.9% of new immigrants in Quebec.
Local, 3/26/2002
Canada's French-speaking province of Quebec received in 2001 37,500 new immigrants, including 8.9% of Moroccans, an official disclosed on Monday. Quebec's minister of relations with citizens and immigration, Andre Boulerice, said at a press conference the province tabled a target of 35,200 to 38,300 new residents between 2001 and 2003. A rate of 54% of the new residents are aged between 25 and 44 years while those aged below 25 account for more than 35%. In this new wave of foreign residents, 7,386 persons come from north Africa, with Morocco becoming the third largest supplier of immigrants, Algeria holding the 4th rank and Tunisia the 13th rank. As he was asked by MAP on the opening of an immigration office in Rabat, which was scheduled last fall, the official said the office will be opened the soonest. For 2002, Quebec, which has a population of 7.3 million souls, is projecting to receive between 40,000 and 45,000 new immigrants while Canada is expecting up to 235,000 new residents.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020326/2002032627.html
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Rabat urban commune approves cooperation convention with Italian Catania.
Local, 3/26/2002
Rabat Urban commune approved on Tuesday a cooperation and friendship convention with the Italian city of Catania. The convention, signed in Italy between the mayor of Catania and the president of Rabat urban commune, aims at improving cooperation between enterprises of the two cities, for a more fruitful partnership, part of the 1995 Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean declaration. The two parties undertake to intensify efforts to develop tourism by exchanging expertise and professional training, in view of creating a tourism network between Rabat and Catania. The two parties also agreed to give special importance to scientific research and archeology, professional training and the development of the agribusiness industry in the two cities.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020326/2002032635.html
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Egypt and Morocco to collaborate on $100 million tourism project.
March 27, 2002
Egyptian and Moroccan investors signed an initial contract to set up a joint tourism investment project, reported Al-Hayat . The project consists of building a $100 million hotel and an integrated leisure city with $50 million in issued capital. The project's final contract will be signed during an Egyptian Moroccan Joint Commission meeting, in the presence of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak and Moroccan King Mohammed the 6th. Official statistics show that the value of exchanges between Morocco and Egypt reached $56.2 million in 2000, up from $34.6 million in the previous year. The value of Egyptian exports to Morocco increased from $21.7 million to $42.7 million during the same period. - (menareport.com)
http://www.menareport.com/story/TheNews.php3?action=story&sid=206722&lang=e&dir=mena
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Morocco wants to make of al-Jadida a tourism pole.
Economics, 3/28/2002
French daily Le monde on Wednesday ran a coverage on Morocco's efforts to make of Al-Jadida, a town located some 200 km south of Rabat, a major tourism center. The town's mild climate and peaceful inhabitants make of Al-Jadida a suitable bound, the daily wrote. The Oum Rabiaa river that runs across the city's neighborhood is the "small Nile of Morocco" and "its sacred water" needs to be respected, the daily writes. The local authorities, however, will find it hard not to be overtaken by the ever-growing demands of the Casablanca, Madrid and Paris promoters, Le Monde says.
Noting that several hotels are projected to build on the coasts of Al-Jadida, the daily notes that the beaches of the town risk to be easy prey to pollution unless an ecological police is created. The Atlantic coastal city exists since the Berber-Phoenician era and counts a rich architectural heritage dating back to the Portuguese occupation.http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020328/2002032821.html
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UNESCO's international drama institute opens center in Morocco.
Local, 3/29/2002
The International drama Institute of the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) opened a Morocco center, on the occasion of the World Theater Day, celebrated on March 27. The center will be promoting drama creation through the setting up of committees which will be in charge of archiving drama productions, publishing data and novelties on this art and holding festivals and training for different professions related to drama production. The Moroccan drama center musters professionals of the field, critics and representatives other arts.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020329/2002032923.html
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Rabat hosts Rhythms of the World Festival.
Local, 3/29/2002
The Moroccan capital city of Rabat will host the first edition of "Rhythms of the world" music festival next May 18-22, under the theme "Rabat at the rhythms of the world." The festival proposes a selection of music and dancing shows from Morocco, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Rhythms of the World will feature renowned artists including Guinean Mori Kante, Cuban "Queen of Salsa," Celia Cruz, Cape Verdean Cesaria Evora as well as Afro-Peruvian Susanne Baca and Brazilian Nazare Pereire. Some twenty two bands from Bolivia, Trinidad, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Cameroon, Mali, Comoro Islands, Cape Verde, Guinea, La Reunion, Burkina Faso and Senegal will perform in both open-air and indoors stages during five days, alongside Moroccan artists. Paintings, sculpture and culinary exhibitions, colloquia, conferences and movies will accompany the shows.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020329/2002032924.html
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