FOM Newsletter May 2003
Morocco Week in Review 
May 10 2003

RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan King Mohammed's wife has given birth in Rabat to their first child, a boy who is next in line to the throne, the Royal Palace says. The child, named Moulay Al Hassan, and mother are in good health, the palace said in a communique carried by the official MAP news agency on Thursday. In Morocco, royal succession is restricted to male members of the royal family, according to primogeniture. King Mohammed, 39, ascended the throne in July 1999 after the sudden death of his father Hassan, who ruled the Muslim North African country for 38 years. In March 2002, he married Salma Bennani, a 24-year-old Internet specialist and daughter of a college lecturer from the city of Fez. In a break with tradition, she received the title of princess. In the past, the wife of a monarch was known as "mother of the princes" and was never seen in public. The Alawite dynasty has ruled Morocco since 1665.

RABAT, May 08 - A census of all babies born in Morocco on this Thursday May 08, birth date of HRH Crown Prince Moulay Al-Hassan, son of H.M. King Mohammed VI, well-informed sources said.  These babies will benefit from the high solicitude of H.M. King Mohammed VI. HRH Crown Prince Moulay Al-Hassan was born in the early morning of this Thursday, May 08, 2003. Hundreds of Moroccans flocked to the Mechouar square of the Royal Palace in Rabat to express their joy on this happy event. H.M. King Mohammed VI, accompanied by his brother HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and his cousin HH Prince Moulay Ismail, greeted the crowds.

Morocco and the United States will hold next June in Morocco a third round of their negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA), announced the Moroccan Delegate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.  The agreement aims to integrate the Moroccan economy in the regional and international environment, upgrade Moroccan enterprises by sharpening their competitive edge, drain more foreign investments and generate more jobs, Taieb Fassi Fihri told the Chamber of Advisors, upper house of parliament. Morocco and the US have held two rounds of talks in Washington and Brussels, and both countries' officials have spoken of tremendous progress achieved so far towards the conclusion of the accord. Morocco will be the fifth country in the world and the second in the Arab region to have such an accord with the US. Washington is already bound by an FTA to Canada, Mexico, Israel and Jordan.

Fassi Fihri discarded any contradiction between the projected FTA with the US and the Association Accord it has with the European Union. "Negotiations with the US are conducted part of a "global vision that does not allow any contradiction," said the minister, pointing out that several Mediterranean countries and others are bound by FTAs both with the US and the EU. The minister recalled that at the first round of these negotiations, held in January in Washington, Morocco outlined the government's policies in several sectors, including agriculture, textile, services, customs duties, environment, intellectual property, labor code and investment. Moroccan negotiators stressed the importance to reach a "satisfactory agreement" that takes into account the economic reality, development requirements and the  specificity of Morocco, said Fihri, adding the Moroccan negotiators agreed with US peers to deal with the agricultural sector according to a global development approach that does not only responds to a commercial logic.  As to the agricultural section of association negotiations with the EU, Fihri said Morocco is determined to adopt an approach heeding the country's social and economic situation, the production and marketing of agricultural products in internal and external markets. Morocco is keen on reaching an accord that respects the vital interests of the country, he said. The decision to strike a free trade deal with the US was announced in Washington in March 2002 during a visit to Washington by King Mohammed VI. The association accord between the EU and Morocco entered in force five years after its signature in 1995 and it aims to reinforce cooperation between Morocco and the EU in several realms and set a free trade zone by 2012.

Some 10,000 women are expected to align May 11 in Casablanca for the fifth edition of the Run for Fun Race, promoted by former Olympic champ Nawal El Moutawakil.Women aged 15 to 75 will participate in the 10-km race, to be kicked off by IAAF President Lamine Diack. International racers from Morocco, Spain, Kenya, France, Senegal, Estonia Portugal and Belgium will also participate in the race.

RABAT, May 6 (Reuters) - Morocco's trade balance deficit rose 68.8 percent in the first quarter, following a sharp rise in refined oil product imports and a drop in phosphate exports, official figures showed on Tuesday. The deficit, which stood at the end of March at 12.1 billion dirhams ($1.26 billion), resulted in a 13 percentage points drop in the cover ratio of exports to imports to 62.8 percent, the state foreign trade regulatory Office des Changes said. Imports rose 9.3 percent in value to 32.3 billion dirhams for a 10.7 percent drop in volume, while exports slid 9.6 percent in value to 20.2 billion dirhams and fell 4.9 percent in volume. Crude oil imports fell 37.8 percent in value to 1.62 billion dirhams for a 53.5 percent drop in volume to 693,000 tonnes. Refined oil products imports rose 36.2 percent to 5.58 billion dirhams. Morocco's sole oil refiner Samir is struggling to recover full output capacity after its main plant was ravaged by a fire in November, leaving the country to rely heavily on refined products' imports to fill the shortfall.  Exports' decline came from a 10.6 percent fall in phosphate exports and lower sales of seafood, fruit and vegetables, which were somewhat offset by rising exports of clothing, citrus fruit, fresh and tinned fish. The European Union accounts for almost two-thirds of Morocco's foreign trade. ((Reporting by Souhail Karam; Reuters Messaging: souhail.karam.reuters.com@reuters.net ; e-mail souhail.karam@reuters.com  +212-37 726518)) ($1=9.578 Moroccan dirhams)

The Italian government donated 500.000 Euro to Morocco to fund a project to modernize the leather industry in Fez, Italian embassy in Rabat said.  The project, launched in March 2003, aims to promote craftsmanship production of leather, improve the use of technology and activate the commercialization of products. The sector draws a significant number of young workers at appropriate wages and some enterprises are inclined to adapt to European quality standards and improve the quality of products destined for export. However, the sector is technologically under-equipped, as enterprises still rely on manual work.  Enterprises will be provided with technical assistance to improve their products, particularly in terms of design and fashion trends. The project will reinforce Professionals Association of Leather Products in Fez and other local institutions that support small and medium enterprises operating in this realm. Other projects are under way including support to the creation of an exports association and easing access for 150 firms to loans. The project serves as a pilot drive, to be extended to other cities in the country.

MADRID, Spain, May 07, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- American writer and intellectual Susan Sontag and Moroccan feminist author Fatima Mernissi were named joint winners of Spain's Prince of Asturias Prize for Letters on Wednesday.  In a statement announcing the award, the jury praised the 70-year-old Sontag and 63-year-old Mernissi for "having developed a literary work in several genres that, with a profoundness of thought and aesthetic qualities, tackles essential issues of our time." New-York born Sontag, who is also a human rights activist, has written nonfiction and novels touching on a wide range of subjects from literature to ethics, health, politics and culture. Mernissi, a sociologist and a professor at Rabat University, is considered an authority on women's issues and Islam.  The award is one of eight Prince of Asturias prizes presented annually and which are considered the Spanish-speaking world's equivalent of Nobel prizes. The prizes, which include a cash award of 50,000 euros (US$ 57,000) and a sculpture by Spanish artist Joan Miro, are presented in the northern city of Oviedo each November by the heir to the Spanish throne, Prince Felipe of Asturias.  Former winners of the Letters Prize include U.S playwright Arthur Miller, late Spanish Nobel laureate Camilo Jose Cela, British writer Doris Lessing and Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa.

WASHINGTON, May 10 - The International Monetary Fund praised Morocco's success in achieving macroeconomic stability over the last decade, heralding optimistic economic perspectives in the Kingdom. Under Article IV consultation with Morocco, the IMF says on Friday "the fixed exchange rate provided an anchor for the economy, monetary policy was prudent and fiscal policy was mostly adequate". "Inflation has remained at levels consistent with that of partner countries, the current account has turned into a surplus while foreign exchange reserves reached eight months of imports at the end of 2001". However, the IMF notes, Morocco's growth performance has not been strong enough to reduce poverty and has been volatile due to the impact of recurrent drought conditions on agricultural output, resulting in high unemployment rates and indicating that social indicators still need significant improvement. The report also notes that economic conditions improved in 2002, despite a less favorable international environment which was marked by a decline in tourism and external demand. "Real GDP growth reached 4.5% reflecting a further rise in agricultural output and somewhat higher growth in the non-agricultural sector. 

The external position strengthened further with an increase in foreign exchange reserves to the equivalent of 9.4 months of imports, external debts indicators improved markedly while inflation remained subdued." Fiscal deficit (excluding privatization receipts and including Hassan II fund expenditures) dropped significantly to 4.5% of GDP from 5.8% of GDP in 2001 and against a budget target of 6.8% of GDP, as the government debt-to-GDP ratio continued to decline, the IMF further says. The Fund ascribes improved business confidence and brightened economic outlook to commitment made by the government which came to power following September 2002 elections to revive economic reforms. It further forecasts that thanks to improved business confidence and more favorable weather conditions since late 2002, the ongoing economic revival could gain momentum and speed up growth in 2003 to 5.5%. It also expects the external current account surplus to narrow, reflecting higher imports linked to a recovery in private investment. For 2003, the IMF predicts proceeds from privatization to help external reserves to remain close to nine months of imports, money growth to reach 7% and inflation to fall to about 2% and continued fiscal consolidation to result in a 2003 fiscal outcome better than in 2002.

The report also says the IMF executive directors have commended the Moroccan authorities for this positive performance and supported the new government resolve to accelerate the pace of structural reform and private sector development in a context of continued macro-economic stability and fiscal consolidation. Government's pledge to continue public sector and judiciary reform, strengthen governance, improve the business environment and reform the labor market and the trade and financial sectors were also welcomed by the IMF.  The government was advised to build on recent progress by taking further actions to achieve a durable strengthening of Morocco's fiscal position and lead to a reduction of the fiscal deficit to about 4% of GDP in 2003 and to below 3% of GDP over the medium term, consistent with a further substantial decline in the public-to-GDP ratio.  Directors also welcomed the Moroccan authorities' decision to broadly stabilize the number of civil servants in 2003 and encouraged them to carry on with a comprehensive civil service reform that will allow a further reduction of the wage bill over the medium term.

Likewise, the IMF recommends reducing food subsidies, while ensuring that an adequate safety net is put in place to alleviate the impact on the poor. Directors note that the country's financial system is unlikely to be a source of risk in the short term and that the commercial banks are in a reasonably good position to withstand adverse shocks. Morocco was urged to press ahead with plans to deepen financial sector reforms, in particular in the area of banking supervision for which the IMF is providing technical assistance. Bank Al-Maghrib, Morocco's central bank, was also recommended for skilful monetary management which by mopping up excess liquidity, has been instrumental in keeping inflation at a low level.

The Arab Association of Civil Society Network praised the healthy and positive ties between NGOs and the State in Morocco. Contrary to several Arab countries, where laws gagging civil freedom are still enforced, NGOs and the Government of Morocco succeeded to reach harmony, the Network saidin a recent report. Several Moroccan NGOs are now interested in political life and a network of associations active in the realms of development, youth, human rights have has seen the light of day to monitor the legislative elections of last September, the report said, deploring that other Arab governments have been marginalizing NGOs from the political sphere. With 7.000 NGO, Morocco tops Arab countries, where 40.000 NGOs are active. The Moroccan civil society has become a social partner contributing to the promotion of democratization and promoting citizens' participation in different fields. The Arab Network lauded Morocco's success to develop political openness, improve the civil and human rights' spirit and enhance the foundations of democracy. The Moroccan NGOs have enlarged their field of action last year to include health services, social security, regional development and Human rights, the report said, adding that political changes in Morocco have positively impacted the action of NGOs.

Moroccan minister of finance and privatization, Fathallah Oulaalou, surveyed here Monday the structural action plan of his department in priority fields. The plan was conceived, to enhance the ministry's capacity to play its role of economic locomotive, Oulaalou said at a press conference.  The Plan is meant to "define a macro-economic framework to ensure a better visibility of the economic situation and of the government's intentions in the field (É) and to guarantee a better coordination and coherence in the department's action."  The application of the plan will concern several directions including the administration of customs and indirect taxes, the kingdom's general treasury, the general taxes direction and the budget direction. On the reforms undertaken by the finance and privatization department, Oulaalou said staff expenses have the biggest share in the state's budget with 52.34 billion Dirhams (US$ 5.23 billion) in 2003, for 800,000 civil servants, followed by the public debt with 41.76 billion Dirhams (US$ 4.17 billion) and investment expenses with 19.55 billion Dirhams (US$ 1.59 billion), he said, adding that the "regionalization" of personnel management must be granted a particular attention. The official pointed evoked other reforms by his Department, mainly the systems of integrated expenses management (GID), of credits globalization, and the encouragement of anticipated retirement. (MAP)IS

Morocco's commercial exchanges with major partners of the European Union, the Gulf and Asia totaled 214,9 milliards DH in 2002, roughly US$ 21.49 million, said the governmental Exchange Office. Only seven countries, including five from the European Union accounted for 57 percent of these exchanges, the Office said.  France top Morocco's partners with 23,7 percent of the exchanges, followed by Spain (12,7 percent), The United Kingdom (5,9 percent), Italy (5,5 percent), Germany (4,2 percent), the United States (3,4 percent) and Japan (2,4 percent). Saudi Arabia -- Morocco's third supplier with 5,9 percent - soaked only 0,6 percent of Morocco's exportations. Tourism earned the Moroccan treasury 24,7 billion dirhams, nearly US$ 2.47 billion in 2002 while the remittances of Moroccan nationals living abroad stood at 35,5 billion dirhams, approximately US$ 3.55 billion, posting respectively a 22.9 and a 52,9 percent rise compared to the average recorded over the past five years. Foreign private investments and loans recorded a sharp decline of 81,3 percent in 2002 compared to the previous year, to stand at 6.2 billion dirhams, US$ 620 million.

Deputies hail rise in women's parliamentary representation

Moroccan deputies hailed over the weekend in Kenitra, 50 km north of Rabat, the increase in the rate of women representation in parliament that went up from 0,6 per cent in the previous legislative term to 10,6 per cent in the current one.  The evolution is the result of the fight of the Moroccan feminist movement, the dynamism of the civil society and the determination of different political actors, said the deputies at a roundtable on women parliamentary action. Thirty-five (35) women currently sit in the 325-seat House of Representatives, lower chamber of parliament. Several university professors and researchers, who took part in the debate, underlined that the rise in women representation is a breakthrough in the Moroccan political life. This meeting was part of preparations for an international symposium on "women and the legislative power," to be organized next December in Morocco at the initiative of UNESCO.

ADB Grants Morocco 80 Mln Euro Loan

The African Development Bank (ADB) signed in Tunis on Tuesday a loan accord granting Morocco 80 million Euros to reinforce electric networks between Morocco and Algeria, and Morocco and Spain. "This accord is an efficient means to promote energy cooperation between countries in the region and evidences the importance that Morocco gives to this kind of projects," said Morocco's ambassador to Tunisia, Abdellah Belkziz, in a release sent to MAP-Tunis by the Moroccan embassy. With this new loan, ADB commitments in Morocco reach over US $2 billion covering 72 operations, said ADB deputy-president, Thedore Nkodo, adding that the signature of the accord evidences the good relations between Morocco and ADB. The loan agreement was signed by Morocco's ambassador to Tunisia and BAD deputy-president.

"The passport for freedom" will be extended Tuesday in the European parliament to Moroccan officer, Mimouni Zeggai, detained since 1976 in the Tindouf camps (south-eastern Algeria, where the Polisario separatists are based), announced Dominique Rambaud, coordinator of the European Union's "Passport for Freedom" initiative.  The "passport for freedom" will be handed to the daughter of the Moroccan officer at a press conference to call for an urgent action by the European Union for the immediate release of 1160 Moroccan soldiers, held captives for over 25 years in Algeria, said Rambaud in a release. The Geneva Convention orders the liberation of POWs and their immediate repatriation after the end of hostilities. The Passport for Freedom will be extended to Zeggai as the longest-serving Moroccan detainee in the Tindouf camps. Instituted by French Euro-deputy Alain Madelin, the "Passport for Freedom" is a means to help members of the European parliament voice their solidaritywith people fighting for the respect of human rights. 

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030506/2003050620.html 

RABAT, May.10 - The number of new electors who registered in the electoral lists for next September's local elections reached 1,285,941, says the interior minister. The new figure of voters marks a 9.37% increase compared to 13,711,252 voters who were on the electors rolls before these rolls were revised in the period between March 26 and May 4. As Morocco lowered last November voting age from 20 to 18, people aged below 25 years form 71.54% of the new voters who registered between March 26 and May 4.  Out of this total, men account for 55.18% and voters from rural areas represent 61.20%. New voters aged below 25 years make up 71.54% of the new registered voters, 40.10% belong to 18-20 age bracket.  Morocco will be holding next September 12 local elections, as part of an electoral process that also includes electing professional chambers on July 25, wage-earners representatives between September 10 and 19, and prefectures and provinces assemblies on September 24. Other polls will be held next October 6 to renew one third of the 270-seat Chamber of Advisors. Members of the Chamber are elected for a nine-year term. One third of the Chamber is renewed every three years.

RABAT, May 07 - Morocco's phone operator, Maroc Telecom, on Tuesday said it posed a nine percent rise in its 2002 turnover, which went up to 14.7 billion Dirham (US$ 1.47 billion) from 13.5 Billion Dirhams (US$1.35 billion) in 2001. The operator's Chief Executive, Abdeslam Ahizoune, who was presenting the firm's results to the press, said Maroc-Telecom's net profit recorded a spectacular jump of 405 percent to stand at 3.7 billion dirhams, nearly US$ 370 million) against 0.37 billion dirhams in 2001. The results allowed the company to continue its debt payment, said Ahizoune, announcing that Maroc-Telecom's balance-sheet is now featuring a positive result. The operator's mobile phone pole maintained its upward trend, allowing the firm to grab 70 percent of the Moroccan market with 4.6 million customers at the end of 2002. A second mobile phone license in Morocco is held by Meditel group. French Vivendi Universal Group holds 35% of Maroc-Telecom's capital. Ahizoune deplored a fall in the number of subscribers to Maroc-Telecom's fixed phone to 1.1 million at the end of 2002. This decrease did not entail a shrink in the firm's fixed phone turnover, he said. The company's Internet pole is also on steady rise, as the number of direct subscribers rose to 34,000, he said.

RABAT, May 08 - H.M. King Mohammed VI amnestied 47,988 detainees on the occasion of the birth of HRH Crown Prince Moulay Al-Hassan, Justice Minister, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, announced on Thursday. Some 9,459 inmates were granted free pardon and 38,529 had their jail terms reduced, the Minister said in a TV broadcast statement. H.M. King Mohammed VI --imbued by humanitarian values and harbouring sympathy with inmates suffering from serious diseases, elderly or handicapped, pregnant or nursing women or accompanied by their children, minor children or youngsters gifted for artistic or craftsmanship- granted free pardon to 155 amongst these inmates and reduced the jail terms of 1043 of them.  Some 3000 youngsters, under the age of 20, having served half of their terms and tried exclusively for offences, were granted free pardon, the justice minister said, underlining H.M. King Mohammed VI's attachment to the reintegration of these youngsters. Some 2000 other youth had their jail terms reduced.  Some 293 foreign nationals jailed in Morocco were granted free pardon for humanitarian reasons. They include elderly people and inmates seriously ill.

The second edition of Rabat's "Mawazin Festival" is scheduled on May 16-25 at the initiative of Maroc Culture Association. The festival aims to contribute to the promotion of rapprochement between different world cultures. The event also projects to bring the cultural diversity of the featured continents "without harming their authentic appeal," stress the organizers.  Uniting two sub-continents: Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, this encounter has invited artists from South Africa, Argentina, Burundi, Ghana, Mali, Brazil, Colombia, Senegal, Congo, Germany, France, Peru, Syria, Switzerland and Venezuela plus the host country Morocco.

4th edition of rallye ORPI Maroc Due on June 5-9

The 4th edition of Rallye ORPI Maroc, part of the world's car and motorcycle championships, is scheduled on May 5-9. Stephane Peterhansel and Jean Louis Schlesser, winner of the world car rallye championship and triple ORPI Maroc title holder will take part in this year's competition.  In motorcycling race, world famed racers such as Fabrizio Meoni, Juan Roma and Richard Sainct, ORPI Maroc double winner, will vie for this year' title

Morocco has become a privileged destination for Arab investors and businessmen, secretary general of the Arab Investment Club in Morocco, Ali Ba Jaber, said, calling the country to for drawing the maximum benefit from this position.  In an interview published Thursday by the daily "Al Alam," Ba Jaber said Morocco's creation of regional investment desks is an initiative of great importance which shows Moroccan officials' awareness of the importance of investment promotion in the kingdom.The executive stressed the necessity of developing an investment culture to drain foreign capital, especially Arab ones. According to Ba Jaber, investment is the best means to develop national economy especially through introduction of technologies, job creation and exports promotion.

Moroccan minister of employment, Social affairs and solidarity, Mustapha Mansouri, stressed the government's commitment to apply the provisions of the social dialogue agreement concluded on April 30, according to an accurate agenda.  Mansouri, who was Wednesday guest at a debate program of Morocco's second channel 2M, said the government will move to apply the 10% increase in the Minimum Wage (SMIG) and the important rise in salaries of the beneficiaries enlisted in the deal.The accord crowns considerable efforts exerted by the preceding governments he said, adding that other rounds of social dialogue will be held to reach other agreements and positive results, he said. "The employment department plays an essential role in this dialogue through its presence in all the commissions," he said. The minister pointed to difficulties in recruiting more civil servants especially that 12.5% of the national revenue is earmarked for them, and 58 billion Dirhams ($5.8 billion) of the 78 billion ($ 7.8 billion) running costs go to salaries, i.e. two folds the kingdom's investment budget. Mansouri admitted huge gaps at the level of salaries, asserting that the government will double efforts to reduce the divide.

RABAT, May 7 (Reuters) - An outspoken Moroccan newspaper editor entered the second day of a hunger strike on Wednesday, in protest against a court case in which he faces up to five years in prison for "insulting the king". Ali Lmrabet, editor of two satirical weeklies -- the French-language Demain Magazine and the Arabic-language Doumane -- is accused of "insulting the king's person" and "undermining the monarchy" in recent articles and cartoons. He is also accused of "undermining (Morocco's) territorial integrity" -- a reference to the long-standing Western Sahara territorial dispute with the Polisario Front independence group. Despite a process of political liberalisation launched in the mid-1990s, legal restrictions remain on published comments on the monarchy, Islam, and Morocco's claim to Western Sahara. Under Morocco's King Mohammed, the monarch and his advisers continue to exercise widespread executive powers in the Muslim North African country. Lmrabet's hunger strike prevented him from attending the first hearing of the case on Wednesday. It was postponed until May 13.  From his office overlooking Rabat's old city, Lmrabet said: "For me, as a citizen with rights, the king is not sacred -- with all the respect that is due to him as head of state." He said the latest court case, like previous legal challenges, represented an attempt to shut down his papers.  A cross between France's Canard Enchaine and Britain's Private Eye magazine, Demain and Doumane have satirised politicians and the security services with a freedom impossible 20 years ago, while avoiding direct criticism of the king. "We'd like to see all these kinds of court cases stopped, so as to create a positive, open environment for the press," secretary general of the Moroccan National Press Union Younes Moujahid said. ((Reporting by Eileen Byrne; Editing by Sami Aboudi; e-mail eileen.byrne@reuters.com; +212-37 726518))

Press freedom organisation Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF - Reporters without Borders) criticised the Moroccan authorities on Wednesday for stifling independent media, as a newspaper editor, accused of insulting King Mohammed VI, was due to go on trial.  Ali Lamrabet, editor of satirical weeklies Demain Magazine and Doumane, is also charged with undermining the integrity of Morocco's territory, in a case that RSF said "summarises the problems facing independent newspapers" in the country. Its report said problems included "the lack of independence of the judiciary, the difficulty of tackling sensitive subjects such as the monarch, the increasing intervention of so-called security services" and political pressure on publishers and printers. RSF's findings are based on a fact-finding mission to the country last month by one of its representatives, who spoke to Moroccan journalists and officials. "The journalists spoke of being followed, having their phones tapped and receiving threats," RSF said. Lamrabet faces up to five years in prison and a fine if convicted on the accusations, which relate to an article on the king's civil list, a cartoon on Morocco's "history of slavery" and extracts from a Spanish newspaper's interview with a republican ilitant, all published in Lamrabet's French-language Demain and Arab-language Doumane newspapers. However, RSF also stressed in its report that the level of press freedom in Morocco was among the most advanced in the Arab world, adding that "to say that the authorities have a strategy of muzzling the press would be an exaggeration". -Sapa-AFP

Further Warnings Issued to Independent Press

Toronto, May 08, 2003 (International Freedom of Expression Exchange Clearing House/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Ali Lmrabet, publisher of the weekly magazines "Demain Magazine" and "Douman" and RSF's correspondent in Morocco, was expected to face a Rabat court on 7 May 2003, charged with "insulting the person of the king." On 2 May, his publishers told him they would no longer print his magazines. These and other cases are described in a survey entitled "Warnings for the Independent Press", resulting from a visit by RSF to Morocco from 22 to 27 April to examine the state of press freedom in the country. The Moroccan press blossomed during the last years of the late King Hassan II's reign. Several independent newspapers broke taboos and exposed various scandals. However, the media's new candour displeased the country's rulers. The regime uses a range of means to discourage a new generation of journalists. The Lmrabet case illustrates what they are confronted with: the courts' lack of independence, the difficulties of raising sensitive topics, such as "the person of the king", the growing interference of state security agents, advertising boycotts and pressure from advertisers and printing houses. The RSF survey condemns the regular interference by the government intelligence service, the Direction de la surveillance du territoire (DST). These days, the press can write about and even criticise DST chief Hamidou Laanigri, but some aspects of the secret services' operations remain sensitive. Journalists spoke of being followed, having their phones tapped and being threatened.

The foreign media is also placed under surveillance, as the authorities have always been very sensitive about the country's image abroad. The Communications Ministry often complains when the foreign media cover an event in a way it does not like. Foreign journalists are sometimes followed and harassed and publications are censored when they report on sensitive subjects. The RSF survey condemns clauses of the new press law that retain prison sentences for certain press offences. Article 41 provides for three to five years' imprisonment for "any attack on Islam, the monarchy or territorial integrity". The report also describes the recent unofficial ban on the pan-Arab television station Al-Jazeera and the censorship, since 2001, of the Islamist weekly "Rissalat al-Foutouwa" (see IFEX alerts of 20 and 11 April 2001).

In its report, RSF calls for an amendment of the press law, the removal of prison sentences for press offences, and a clearer definition of the term "any attack on Islam, the monarchy or territorial integrity", which, the organisation says, can be interpreted very broadly. RSF also calls for state subsidies and advertising to be allotted to newspapers in an open manner. The report will be available shortly in English on RSF's website: www.rsf.org 

For further information, contact Virginie Locussol at RSF, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: northernafrica@rsf.org , Internet: http://www.rsf.org Copyright International Freedom of Expression Exchange Clearing House.

Morocco has formulated an ambitious strategy to attract 10 million tourists a year to the country by 2010, said a senior official. The strategy envisages increasing the number of Gulf tourists to 350,000 from less than 100,000 currently visiting the kingdom, Taibi Khattab, director of the Moroccan Tourist Office, Middle East and Asia, told Gulf News. "This is a substantial change in our tourist vision customarily focusing on the European market. "Overall, tourists from this region are the second largest spenders after the French tourists. Fourteen per cent of the total income from tourism comes from the GCC countries, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. "To accommodate the increase in the number of tourists, the government also plans to build more hotels and facilities throughout the kingdom, with an estimated 65,000 rooms in the coastal cities and an additional 15,000 rooms inland. "The Moroccan Tourist Office in Dubai, which was opened in January this year, aims to strengthen the country's presence in the Middle East, hence presenting the opportunity to promote it as the perfect travel destination whether for leisure or business.  "It is our responsibility to continuously improve our service to our existing and future customers. We aim to increase tourist flow to Morocco from the Middle East region by 15 per cent this year, through extensive and comprehensive marketing campaigns and events like the Arabian Travel Market." said Khattab. "In 2002, there was an increase in the number of tourists, 26 per cent came from Kuwait, and 14 per cent from the UAE. "The Moroccan government is putting a lot of effort into promoting tourism and investment in the kingdom," said Khattab. "Morocco blends two worlds - Africa and Europe - and is bathed by two seas, the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It is a cultural melting pot which promises the holiday traveller a truly original vacation. "With 3,500 kilometres of coastline, snow-clad mountains, green plains,  steep gorges, the vast emptiness of the Sahara and an intrinsically Arab heritage, it combines a host of outside influences from a long history of conquest and colonial settlement. "Emirates, Gulf Air and Qatar Airlines are operating three flights a week each to Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, and are energetically promoting its beaches, countryside, and cultural, historical and geographical delights," said Khattab. He expected a busy summer season this year with many Arab families visiting Morocco. 

BODY: Text of report of an interview with Moroccan Minister of Industry, Commerce and Telecommunications Rachid Talbi Alami, by Talhah Jibril from Rabat published by London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat web site on 13 April: Moroccan Minister of Industry, Commerce and Telecommunications Rachid Talbi Alami has said that the fears of some Moroccan economic entrepreneurs arising from the signing of the free-trade agreement with the United States are not justified. He pointed out that any free-trade agreement with any country would have its advantages and disadvantages, but the agreement with the United States would have great advantages. A secret session of negotiations took place recently in Geneva between Rabat and Washington about drawing up the details of the free-trade agreement, whose signing date was not yet fixed. In an interview with Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Alami said the agreement would play a positive role in developing the commercial relations and productivity in Morocco. He pointed out that Moroccan enterprises would try to raise their productivity and competitiveness to face up to the US enterprises and match them at the first stage, then to compete with them later on. Alami did not hide the fact that at the moment Moroccan enterprises are not capable of competing with foreign enterprises, whether from the United States or other countries. He said that they lack a strong infrastructure, a modern financial and marketing system and modern production technology. He also admitted that some of those whose interests would be harmed were opposing the free-trade agreement.  However, Alami pointed out that the free-trade agreement with Washington would open horizons for Moroccan enterprises, whether in the public or private sectors, to develop their structures and he believed it would attract foreign investments. Alami said that there were Moroccan companies that were currently directing all their production to the European and US markets. He pointed out that these included the sectors of textiles, agricultural products, processed food, leather goods and electrical goods. He added that there were also companies in Morocco that manufactured parts for well-known motor companies, such as Renault, Fiat and Peugeot.  Alami revealed that he recently met a delegation from the aircraft manufacturing company, Boeing, who expressed their wish to import cables for aircraft manufacturing from one of the companies that produced them in Casablanca.

In reply to a question about the role that could be played by the government to help the Moroccan enterprises to adapt to the situation in the future and to be able to compete, Alami said that the Moroccan government established centres to analyse and monitor quality so that Moroccan enterprises would be able to achieve the quality required by international standards. He added that the government had placed at the disposal of the enterprises mechanisms for financing, restructuring, preparing feasibility studies and training. He emphasized that the government understood that a free-trade agreement with a foreign country would be unworkable without raising the standard of the economic fabric. Alami considered that the period up to 2010, when Morocco would be in full partnership with the European Union and the free-trade agreements would be in force, would be sufficient to rehabilitate the private sector in Morocco. He pointed out that the state has asked the private sector to specify what it needs in order to be able to prepare itself for competition. Alami said that these requirements have been specified in the fields of training, improving the reception structures for financing enterprises and mechanisms and simplifying the administrative procedures. He said that the state responded to these requirements and allocated a budget for training and a financial fund, in collaboration with the European Union, to respond to the requirements of the private sector. He added that there was at the moment a draft law that would allow the private sector to establish and manage industrial zones in preparation for the withdrawal of the state from that field. Alami pointed out that this draft law specified selling the industrial land to the private sector for a nominal price, providing these zones with the basic services, and then the private sector would manage these industrial zones and supervise the long-term investments there.

Copyright 2003 British Broadcasting Corporation BBC Monitoring Middle East- Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring. April 14, 2003, Monday. 

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