Morocco, Well Prepared to Win Development Stakes, WB Chief
Morocco confirms 2003 GDP set for 5.5 pct growth
One nurse for every 1426 Moroccans, survey
Morocco may get big cereals crop, March rain vital
Morocco Determined to Translate Tourism Strategy into Concrete Achievements
Morocco to train 72,000 professionals in tourism related sectors by 2010
French expert praises morocco's efforts in fighting AIDS
World Bank Sets Aid Program For Morocco
Morocco moves to elaborate children rights code, official
Third international music contest in Morocco next march
Iraq war could hurt Moroccan growth hopes, reform
War in Iraq Would Rattle Morocco, Warns Bishop Prelate of Rabat Invites Missionaries to North African Nation
Morocco Issues New Coinages
Construction of new Tangier port begins
New Tangier Port, First Step of Ambitious Development Drive
Morocco decries alarming state of fisheries resources in Mediterranean Sea
Creation of network of African sea sciences institutes probed in Morocco
Samira Said awarded BBC International Music Award

Morocco, Well Prepared to Win Development Stakes, WB Chief

TANGIER, Feb.18 - Morocco, which managed to take up the democratic challenge, is well prepared to win the stake of growth and job generation, said Monday World Bank President, James Wolfensohn, who paid a visit to Morocco Feb. 15-17. Wolfensohn, who was speaking to the press at the Tangier airport, hailed the clairvoyance of H.M. King Mohammed VI on issues he evoked with the sovereign, "either at international level or at the level of Morocco's economic and social development, as well as the accuracy of the King's standpoints and his strong and determined commitment to secure to Morocco and to Moroccans the necessary foundations likely to tune them with modernity and position them in a strong manner within the world economy." "Morocco has successfully taken up the challenge of democracy, which makes of the Kingdom a model in the region. Now the country has to take up the challenge of growth acceleration and job generation. Morocco is well prepared for this," he elaborated. Wolfensohn, who renewed the World Bank's readiness to support Morocco in materializing its objectives, lauded the strong and longstanding ties between Morocco and the Breton Woods institution, ties that are axed on "a shared vision of development and on a strong determination to fight poverty and exclusion, give a social dimension to our action and allow the flourishing of all positive energies of the country." James Wolfensohn, who attended Monday the launching by the sovereign of the construction works of the new Tangier-Mediterranean port, said "the project will be an economic bridge between Morocco and Europe, and the rest of the world."

http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

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Morocco confirms 2003 GDP set for 5.5 pct growth

RABAT, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The Moroccan economy is set to grow by 5.5 percent in 2003, helped by promising agricultural output and a continuing rise in exports, Finance and Privatisation Minister Fathallah Oualalou confirmed on Tuesday. "2002 was the best year in the decade. We should consolidate this positive trend in 2003," he told a news conference. The North African country's gross domestic product, estimated at $41 billion, rose 4.5 percent last year. Oualalou presented forecasts that confirmed many previously published figures and did not incorporate the impact of a possible war in Iraq on Morocco's economic growth. Morocco imports more than 95 percent of its energy needs and relies on tourism, its second main hard currency earner. "The impact (of a war) on Morocco should be apparent in a rise in the energy bill, a slowdown in exports and a decline in tourism receipts," Oualalou said. But he added, "The comfortable level of foreign currency reserves, some $10 billion, should help absorb without great difficulty the impacts of a war." He said the agricultural sector's added value in 2003 "might reach 24 billion dirhams, a rise of 12.3 percent" from 2002. Agriculture employs 40 percent of the country's 10 million workers and contributes up to 20 percent of GDP. Oualalou said non-agricultural GDP was expected to rise 4.3 percent in 2003. The current account balance should post a surplus of 2.5 percent of GDP in 2003 based on an oil price of $25 per barrel. Inflation in 2002 stood at 2.8 percent, up from 0.6 percent in 2001. The budget deficit reached 19.2 billion dirhams or 4.7 percent of GDP, up from 2.7 percent in 2001. 

((Reporting by Souhail Karam, editing by Mike Miller; rabat.newsroom@reuters.com  ; +212-37 720065)) ($1=10.028 Moroccan dirhams)

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=1045601605nL18213264&Section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C  

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One nurse for every 1426 Moroccans, survey

Morocco, Health, 2/19/2003

Morocco has a nurse for every 1426 persons, according to a study by the National Union of Public Health on Paramedical Personnel, published Monday. The number of sages-femmes and obstetricians is 1132 for some 8 million women in procreation age. The average is of one sage-femme for every 6880 women in age of procreation. "This situation results in a high mortality rate at delivery," the study says, deploring that the paramedical sector also lacks motivation, equipment and training. The paramedical staff, all specialties included, constitutes usually 60 to 65% of the personnel working in the health sector, Liberation daily, which published the findings, said, describing the situation as a real crisis, bound to worsen because of massive retirements. The Union of Public Health outlined several measures to solve the problems, mainly elaborating scientific norms, improving training and creating more jobs in the sector annually.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030219/2003021924.html 

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Morocco may get big cereals crop, March rain vital

RABAT, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A rainy March would help Morocco harvest a bumper cereals crop and lead to a significant drop in imports, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said on Tuesday. "Abundant rain at the start of the campaign bolstered cereals planted areas. Prospects for a generous harvest are bright despite the prolonged cold spell of January that slowed down a bit the growth of plants," the official told Reuters. "Rain in March will be decisive. If we get some 30 millimetres of rain, then the cereals harvest should reach around 7.0 million tonnes," he added. The North African country needs some 4.5 million tonnes of soft wheat per year. Soft wheat usually makes up half of its cereals harvest. "Reaching that figure (7.0 million) will mean a drop of one million tonnes in soft wheat imports alone from the previous campaign," the official, who did not want to be named, said. Cereals-planted areas by end-January stood at 5.1 million hectares, four percent above last year's total. The national average rainfall was 275 millimetres, almost 40 percent above normal. Morocco's cereals harvest in the 2001/2002 campaign stood at 5.0 million tonnes, including 2.42 million tonnes of soft wheat. The official declined to compare the current campaign to that of 1995/1996 which saw a record 10 million tonne harvest and freed the country from the need to import. "1995/1996 saw generous spring rain in February, March and April. For this campaign, March will be decisive. We'll get a clearer picture by end-April," he said. A large cereals crop means strong growth in the economy, which relies heavily on agriculture. The sector employs 40 percent of the country's 10-million-strong workforce and contributes up to 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

((Reporting by Souhail Karam, editing by Anthony Barker; rabat.newsroom@reuters.com  ; +212-37 720065))

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=1045575500nL18547004&Section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C 

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Morocco Determined to Translate Tourism Strategy into Concrete Achievements

AGADIR, Feb.15 - Morocco's Tourism minister, Adil Douiri, voiced the government's resolve to translate the ten-year tourism strategy into concrete achievements through efficient management that brings out the Kingdom's riches and promotes employment. Taking the floor at the closing session of the 3rd national encounter on tourism that took place here on Friday, Douiri highlighted the government's will to carry on its endeavors to drain further investments to boost tourism related activities and raise accommodation capacity. "The dramatic figures registered in terms of investments and accommodation capacity prove the high credibility rating enjoyed by Morocco and its tourism potential in the medium and long terms," said the Moroccan official. He further stressed the need to diversify Morocco's tourism products in terms of entertainment, while ensuring a parallel vocational training. Touching on air transport, he highlighted the need to upgrade the existing network servicing tourist destinations, and reduce flights duration. "We should concentrate our efforts to fill airplanes and hotel units through close partnerships with tour-operators based abroad markets, while endeavoring to consolidate cultural proximity and confidence", he went on. He further said that Morocco has set up a contingency cell to fend off any adverse repercussions of a potential war in Iraq. Morocco plans to attain ten million tourists per annum by year 2010, he said, reiterating the Kingdom's firm will to meet the objectives set for this decade.

http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

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Morocco to train 72,000 professionals in tourism related sectors by 2010

Morocco, Economics, 2/19/2003

Moroccan tourism training centers will train 72,000 professionals by 2010, a date set by Morocco to gain 10 million tourists per annum. Morocco has 47 institutes specializing in tourism training, including 16 under the authority of the tourism department, and 28 private in addition to research units in several universities. 2,461 agents, specialized in different tourism-related activities, graduated from these institutes in 2000-2001, said a release of the ministry of tourism. Part of a strategy, dubbed "Vision 2010," Morocco endeavors to boost the tourism activities through an integrated development plan (PDI), the implementation of which requires US$ 50 million. Part of this drive, Morocco seeks to extend the capacity of twelve public training centers and build eight new ones by 2003.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030219/2003021925.html 

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French expert praises morocco's efforts in fighting AIDS

Morocco-France, Health, 2/20/2003

Director of French public interests body "ESTHER," Ms. Anne Petit-Girard praised Morocco's "convincing results" in fighting AIDS and sexually transmissible diseases. Anne Petit-Girard, who had talks in Rabat on Wednesday with Morocco's Health minister, Cheikh Biadillah, voiced hope to see Morocco benefiting from ESTHER's aid in terms of vocational training, prevention and diseases detection. Petit-Girard's visit to Morocco aims to prepare for the signing of a partnership agreement between the two countries' health departments, in order to twin Moroccan hospitals and French counterparts in terms of reimbursing medical care of HIV/AIDS related infections. The agreement will consolidate ties between university hospital Ibn Sina in Rabat and Edouard Herriot hospital in Lyons and between university hospital Ibn Rochd in Casablanca and European hospital Georges Pompidou in Paris.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030220/2003022019.html 

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World Bank Sets Aid Program For Morocco

The World Bank (WB) has earmarked USD 250 million per annum in aid to the Kingdom of Morocco over the next three years. The Arabic daily, Al Sharq al Awsat reported that the aid will be directed towards Morocco's high-importance sectors such as agriculture, education and banking. Morocco is considering a reform project for the banking sector, which will include granting independence to its central bank. 

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=AFPublicationAraPress6915&Section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C 

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Morocco moves to elaborate children rights code, official

Morocco, Culture, 2/21/2003

Morocco's State Secretary of family, solidarity and social action, Yasmina Baddou, said her department is probing the elaboration of a children rights code taking into account conditions of children in Morocco. The secretariat of state is also studying the set up of a national action plan to fight sexual exploitation of children, reactivate the functions of the judge of minors and boost the role of social assistance, Baddou said at the opening in Tangier Wednesday of the 29th internet scientific days. The event, organized February 19-22 by doctors of the Rabat-Sale university hospital, features a round table on children victims of mistreatment, with the participation of the National Observatory of children rights and police cadres.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030221/2003022123.html 

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Third international music contest in Morocco next march

Morocco-Regional, Local, 2/21/2003

The third edition of the international music contest will be held next March in Casablanca, with the participation of seven pianists from Germany, Poland, Japan, Russia, Yugoslavia, Romania and Italy. The heats will be held March 12-13 at the Megarama complex, Casablanca, and the finals in Rabat's Mohammed V theatre on the 15th of the same month. Concerts by the winners will also be held in Casablanca on March 16, and Marrakesh, on March 17. The jury will be made up of Moroccan and foreign music icons, and chaired by Andrzej Jasinski, president of Warsaw's Frederic Chopin contest.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030221/2003022130.html 

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Iraq war could hurt Moroccan growth hopes, reform

By Souhail Karam

RABAT, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A war in Iraq would seriously hurt Morocco's drive to fund major economic reforms and fight poverty, cutting growth that is key to government efforts to halt the drift of the poor towards Islamists, analysts say. The government of technocrat Prime Minister Driss Jettou needs economic growth of six to seven percent per year to make serious headway towards eradicating poverty, but expects growth of 4.5-5.5 percent this year. However, an economy highly dependent on tourism for foreign currency revenue and which imports 95 percent of its energy, could see lower growth and rising unemployment in the event of war, economists said on Friday. "If oil hits $40 per barrel, as it did during the 1991 Gulf War, it will lead to a considerable slowdown in the European economy, in demand for our exports and will double the oil imports bill," one senior financial analyst said. Economist Lahcen Daoudi said the 2003 budget, which forecasts 4.5 percent growth, was predicated on crude at $24 a barrel and an economic recovery in the European Union. "But crude is now hovering above $32 a barrel because of the Iraqi crisis," said Daoudi, an MP for the main opposition Islamist Justice and Development Party. And the European Union, Morocco's main trading partner, had already revised down its growth prospects, he added. L'Economiste, a business daily, this week said the finance ministry's 4.5 percent growth forecast for 2003 was a "stupid target under the current international circumstances". Strong economic growth is important to Morocco's rookie cabinet, the first government entirely selected by King Mohammed since he assumed the throne three years ago. Its success is seen as key to boosting the credibility of the king and wining the confidence of the poor, who increasingly turn to the Islamists to meet their aspirations for a better life. Islamists are now the third biggest force in parliament. Around 18 percent of Morocco's 30 million inhabitants live below the poverty line, more than 50 percent are illiterate and unemployment reaches up to 20 percent in urban areas.

LOSS EQUAL TO PHOSPHATE EXPORTS

The government has pledged in 2003 to tackle major reforms in labour, health, housing and economic restructuring ahead of the abolition of trade barriers with the European Union by 2012. But the finance ministry, banking on comfortable foreign currency reserves covering 10 months of imports and better controlled macroeconomic finances, believes the North African country can shield itself from the fallout of a war. The finance ministry's General Economic Policy Department (DPEG) said economic growth would shrink by 0.8 point in 2003 from an expected 5.5 percent, and by 1.5 points in 2004. War in Iraq would cut exports by 1.1 percent and 2.3 percent in 2003 and 2004 respectively and prompt local firms to cut jobs by 0.6 percent and 1.1 percent in the next two years, says DPEG. Finance Minister Fathallah Oualalou said this week that a relatively short Iraq war could cost Morocco $1.5 billion.But not everyone is so sanguine. "$1.5 billion represents 3.7 percent of GDP, or more than what phosphates exports net the economy. This is huge," said one analyst. 

((Reporting by Souhail Karam; editing by Jon Boyle; Reuters Messaging: gilles.trequesser.reuters.com@reuters.net  ; +212-37 720065)) ($1=10.028 Moroccan dirhams)

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=1045832665nL21546777&Section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C 

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War in Iraq Would Rattle Morocco, Warns Bishop Prelate of Rabat Invites Missionaries to North African Nation

ROME, FEB. 20, 2003 (Zenit.org) http://www.zenit.org >.- A bishop in Morocco warns that the ripple effects of a military attack on Iraq would be felt in North Africa. "A possible war in Iraq entails a catastrophic risk for us, and 'us' does not only mean Catholics but all the population of Morocco," Bishop Vincent Landel of Rabat said. "Pray for all the Arab world, not only for Moroccan Christians," the bishop said at the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of Rome, in the context of a round-table discussion with bishops of North Africa, who are on their quinquennial visit to the Holy See. Given the phenomenon of emigration of Moroccan citizens to Europe, Bishop Landel exhorted the latter to assume its responsibility to avoid "the Strait of Gibraltar becoming a cemetery." "The immigrants who come from the sub-Saharan area, often stay in Morocco without the possibility of realizing the dream of crossing the strait to arrive in Spain, in Europe," the bishop said. In fact, the future of the Catholic Church in Morocco depends on sub-Saharan young people, students who come to Morocco to attend university, he said. Bishop Landel appealed to religious congregations and missionaries to go to his country and "not be afraid," explaining that "in Morocco the faith is lived in full freedom and the Catholic Church has been recognized for 20 years in a formal and cordial letter between the king of Morocco and the Pope." Morocco has 30,000 Christians, all of them foreigners, in a population of 31 million inhabitants. There is an "exciting" presence of men and women religious who "represent the universality of the Church that is being built around Jesus Christ and Morocco," he said. It is the only country in North Africa with four contemplative monasteries, including one in Casablanca made up of Mexican nuns.

http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=31650 

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Morocco Issues New Coinages

RABAT, Feb.20 - Morocco will issue two new coinages, the first worth 1 dirham and the second half a Dirham (50 cents), Morocco's central bank, Bank-Al-Maghrib, said in a release. On the obverse, the first bears the effigy of H.M. King Mohammed VI and the second a telecommunications satellite. On the reverse, both coinages show Morocco's armorial bearings.

http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

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Construction of new Tangier port begins

Morocco, Economics, 2/18/2003

Morocco's King Mohammed VI launched in Tangier this Monday construction works of the new Tangier-Mediterranean port, part of the Tangier-Mediterranean Special Development Zone, 35 km east of Tangier. The facility will cost 5 billion dirhams, nearly US$ 500 million. The port's construction works will start in March 2003 and will be completed by 2007. The Hassan II Fund for Social and Economic Development will contribute 2 billion dirhams (US$ 200 million) to the construction and equipment of the port. The remaining 3 billion dirhams will be funded by private operators. The deep sea harbor will handle activities of container transshipment, international road transport, and conveyance of general goods and passengers. The sovereign, then, chaired the signing of three conventions, two of which deal with the construction of the Tangier-Mediterranean special development zone. They were signed between the state and the special agency set up to this end and between the new agency and the Hassan II fund for economic and social development. The third convention provides for the construction of a road between Tetuan and Fnideq and a by-pass road around Tetuan.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030218/2003021822.html

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Morocco begins construction of new port

TANGIERS, Morocco, Feb 17 (AFP) -

Morocco begins construction of new port TANGIERS, Morocco, Feb 17 (AFP) - Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Monday officially oversaw the launch of a massive project to build a new port on the Strait of Gibraltar. The 1.2-billion-euro (1.3-billion-dollar) project, which will create Tangiers-Mediterranean port just 35 kilometers (22 miles) off of Morocco's sprawling Tangiers port, will be financed up to 40 percent by the state, the official news agency MAP said. The complex will include a deep-water port for merchandise shipments and passenger boats, as well as zones for export industries. World Bank President James Wolfensohn attended the launch ceremony, at which the king also thanked Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates for their financial support of the project, MAP said. 

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=ANA748048213655&Section=Countries&page=Morocco

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New Tangier Port, First Step of Ambitious Development Drive

TANGIER, Feb.17 - With the launching Monday of construction works of a large port near Tangier, Morocco moved to materialize a huge project in the region, a project that will make of Tangier a new engine for regional social and economic take off. The zone, dubbed the Special Development Zone of Tangier, will be built at the intersection of the world major sea routes, 35 km east of Tangier and 15 km south of Europe. The zone will be made up of a seaport, export free zones, tourism activity areas and connecting infrastructures (roads, highways and railways). The project will cost 12 billion dirhams, nearly US$ 1.2 billion, to be financed by the State -through the Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development, donors and private operators. Construction works of the integrated complex will start in March and will be completed by 2007. The materialization of the project echoes Morocco's concern to promote social and economic development through projects likely to spur sustained growth, made a national priority. The zone includes facilities revolving around the new seaport, mainly a 98-hectare logistic free zone for the storage of goods and light processing activities, industrial free zones for export-destined production industries, a 140-hectare duty-free zone, a 190-hectare tourism zone. A sophisticated highway and railway network will be set up to link the zone to national networks. A highway section will link the zone to the Rabat-Tangier highway. The duty free zone will be connected to the port by a highway, while a railway section will service Tangier and the port complex and the free zones.

© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm 

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Morocco decries alarming state of fisheries resources in Mediterranean Sea

Morocco-Regional, Economics, 2/21/2003

Morocco's Fisheries minister, Tayeb Rhafes decried on Thursday the alarming state of fisheries resources in the Mediterranean sea, stressing that the area's ecosystem has grown even more fragile. In a speech to the committee chairing the project on the promotion of scientific cooperation in the western Mediterranean area "COPEMED," currently convening its 11th encounter in Casablanca, the Moroccan official noted that the situation in the countries of the Southern and Northern banks of the Mediterranean sea has reached a point where some decisive decisions must be taken to rehabilitate the area's fisheries resources. He praised in this respect the compulsory terms of the decision adopted by the Mediterranean Fisheries General Council, during its last meeting held in Rome, in terms of managing fisheries riches. This decision, he further noted, is a call for order based on scientific data thanks to the contribution of COPEMED project. The Moroccan official invited both banks of the Mediterranean sea to engage in a more active cooperation to uphold the productivity and stability of the region's sea resources. This cooperation, according to him, should zero in on the consolidation of the Southern bank's scientific structures according to a comprehensive vision on the management of fisheries resources.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030221/2003022120.html

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Creation of network of African sea sciences institutes probed in Morocco

Regional-Morocco, Economics, 2/18/2003

A meeting on the creation of an African network gathering institutes specialized in sea sciences and research, opened in Casablanca on Monday with the participation of thirteen countries. The encounter is part of the recommendations of the fifth session of theministerial conference on halieutic cooperation among African states bordering the Atlantic ocean, held in Libreville in October 2001. Participants to the meeting will examine the network's statutes, funding and scope of action, and will also debate the regional strategy of halieutic research, along with the network's 2003-2004 program. "The creation of an African space for research is both a challenge and an opportunity," said Morocco's Fisheries minister, Tayeb Rhafes, in a speech read on his behalf at the opening session of the encounter, noting that this network will provide regional cooperation with an efficient instrument. The new network will coordinate action among specialized laboratories and promote regional and international partnership with similar institutions based in developed countries.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030218/2003021818.html  

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Samira Said awarded BBC International Music Award

Moroccan singer Samira Said will receive on the 24th of March a BBC International Music Award along with a second award in Monaco. Samira hasbeen nominated for the award after the huge success of her last album "Youm Wara Youm" (Day After Day) found in the Arab world and around Europe. According to the London based Elaph, Samira will celebrate her award in Morocco and London. She is currently working on a new music video for the song "Kabiltak Leah" (Why Did I Meet You), which will be aired in the near future. Said and the Algerian Rai singer Cheb Mami collaborated for the first time in the duet "Yaom Wara Yaom" which was released in Europe and the US in addition to the Arab world. Although Samira was scheduled to sing the song alone for her album, she decided it would be more suitable to be sung as a duet. The duet was shot in Cairo and directed by Sherif Sabri, who brought an English dancing trainer who worked with the Spice Girls troupe to teach them a few chorography steps. On a different note, Samira faced an embarrassing incident while performing in Dubai in January by a drastic change in weather. At the Dubai Nights Festival Samira insisted on completing her performance as she got on stage despite the freezing temperature that suddenly hit the city. While on stage, the singer began to feel the cold but pushed it aside not wanting to let her audience down. The weather worsened as rain started pouring down soaking the singer. The rain did not stop forcing the singer at that point to cut her concert short but promising to hold another performance the following day before she headed out to Egypt. Samira recently came to an agreement with international French singer Charles Aznavour to hold a duet. Samira is hopeful that her agreement with Charles will repeat a similar success to the one she received from her duet with Cheb Mami "Youm. Born and raised in Rabat, Morocco, Said now lives her life between Egypt, Morocco and the US. She began singing at an early age in the TV program Mawaheb (Talents), dedicated to children's talents. But it wasn't until "Alemnah Al Hob" (Teach Us Love), in 1983, that the doors of fame had opened for her. - Albawaba.com

http://www.albawaba.com/headlines/TheNews.php3?action=story&sid=242106&lang=e&dir=Entertainmen 

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