Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
May 13 , 2006

Morocco planning to outlaw child domestic labor
Morocco's GDP growth rises to 5.7 %.
81% of Moroccan villages got electricity in 2005.
Moroccan schoolchildren conduct census about non-schooled and drop out children.
300,000 Moroccans suffer schizophrenia - survey.
'Inqad,' national program to 'rescue' little maids
Moroccan hospitals need up to 9,000 nurses.
International report: Child labour decreases significantly.
Witchcraft: Science or superstition? What do Moroccans choose?
Witchcraft in Morocco: A day with Shawafa.
Unemployment under 10% for first time in 35 years.
Morocco earns $1bn from travel sector.
GDP grows 5.7% in Q1 of 2006.
On Campaign.
Morocco to commemorate May 16 anniversary.
CCDH and Moroccan Interior Minister to collaborate towards a new human rights culture.

Morocco planning to outlaw child domestic labor
May 10, 2006 RABAT

Morocco is preparing a law banning child labor, particularly the use of children as domestic servants, the country's secretary of state for family, children and the handicapped said on Tuesday. "Our challenge is to create a Morocco that is worthy of its children," said Yasmina Baddou during a presentation of the bill to the media, aid agencies and civil servants in Rabat. "Child labor, particularly the employment of these little servants, is a form of violence and exploitation," she said. Baddou said that her department wanted the new law to "regulate domestic labor and punish all use of little girls as maids".

The announcement came five months after the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report saying that 600,000 children aged six to 15 were employed as child labor in Morocco. Of these, 66,000 were used as domestic servants. "Morocco has one of the highest child labor rates in the Middle East and North Africa. Although Moroccan law prohibits children under 15 from working, government statistics suggest that at least 600,000 children aged seven through 14 - 11 percent of all children in that age group - are engaged in economic activity," the December 2005 report said.

"Human Rights Watch's report documented cases of girls as young as five working 100 or more hours per week, without rest breaks or days off, for as little as six-and-a-half Moroccan dirhams [about $0.70] a day. "These girls are often exposed to physical and even sexual abuse, and denied schooling. Our report held the Moroccan government responsible for neglecting the basic labor rights of children, and made recommendations to improve labor standards and protect children from abuses," it added.

The government's draft bill is designed to raise awareness of the problem among Moroccans who employ domestic servants and poor families with girls. It aims to combat recruitment networks, particularly in rural areas, where the use of child labor is most widespread, and to help reintegrate "little maids" into society. Baddou nevertheless took issue with elements of the HRW report on Tuesday, telling her audience: "HRW's figures and comparisons are exaggerated and lack credibility. "HRW doesn't have the same freedom of movement in other countries as it does in Morocco," she added.
http://www.metimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20060510-031532-6445r 
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Morocco's GDP growth rises to 5.7 %.

Morocco's economy grew at 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2006 compared with 1.6 in the fourth quarter of 2005, mainly on a recovery in farming output after a drought, the High Planning Commission said on Tuesday. Agriculture accounted for more than half of the expanded economic growth while the telecoms, construction and real estate development boosted non-farming sectors, the country's leading think tank added. "The GDP growth is estimated at 5.7 percent in the first quarter, with agriculture contributing 3.1 percentage points of that growth," the Commission said.

The climate of economic recovery buoyed business optimism, spurring industrialists to boost investment. "The positive trend seems to have led companies to bolster their investment programs. Imports of capital goods rose 11.7 percent in the first quarter while loans for plant equipment rose 3.4 percent for the period," the Commission said. The drought last year slashed cereals output to around 4.0 million tonnes from an average of 6.0 million in the last decade that cut economic growth to 1.8 percent in 2005 from an average of 4.8 percent in the 2001-2004 period.

The Finance Ministry's Studies and Financial Directorate said in a report that it was expecting cereals output to come in 75 percent higher this year versus 2005. The estimated cereals crop will be 7.0 million tonnes, 1.0 higher than the level forecast by the government earlier. As a result, the government and the International Monetary Fund expect the Moroccan economy to grow by more than 6 percent this year from an earlier official growth forecast of 5.4 percent on expected strong agriculture growth.
http://english.alarabonline.org/display.asp?fname=2006%5C05%5C05-10%5Czbusinessz%5C979.htm&dismode=x&ts=10/05/2006%2008:47:04%20%C3%95 
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81% of Moroccan villages got electricity in 2005.
Rabat, May 10

81% of Moroccan villages, i.e. 22,632 villages, were connected to electricity in 2005, revealed, here Monday, Energy Minister, Mohamed Boutaleb. Speaking at a House of Representatives question time, the minister noted that this rate is due to reach 89% this year.
He pointed out that the choice of the beneficiary villages is based on criteria taking into account the balances between the communes, underlining that all projects are subjected to the approval of a provincial commission including a representative of the concerned commune http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/81_of_moroccan_vill/view 
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Moroccan schoolchildren conduct census about non-schooled and drop out children.
Rabat, May 8

Moroccan school children are conducting a census about non-schooled and dropout children, started officially on Monday to promote awareness of and try to find local solutions to the phenomenon. The census, expected to concern 100 000 non schooled and drop out children, is to run up to the end of May. It will mobilize 10.000 students supervised by 2 000 teachers and directors from 1 000 schools with high dropout numbers and located in the communes targeted by the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH). The INDH was launched by King Mohammed VI in May 18, 2005, to fight poverty and exclusion through providing and upgrading services in education, health, water, housing...

The census will concern schools, located in the regions of Tetuan-Tangier (North-West), El-Hoceima-Taza-Taounate (North-Centre), Marrakech-Alhouz (Centre-South region), and Souss-Massa-Draa (South-West). Informal Education Secretary General, Anis Birou said this campaign mainly aims to increase family awareness of the non-schooling phenomenon. UNICEF representative, Maie Ayoub, said the government and the society are to get the findings in the coming months to take actions to protect the rights of dropout and non schooled children http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/moroccan_schoolchild/view 
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300,000 Moroccans suffer schizophrenia - survey.
Rabat, Morocco, 03/28

About 300,000 out of 30 million inhabitants of Morocco suffer from schizophrenia, according to a psychiatric survey published Monday in Rabat. Schizophrenia, which is still an unknown disease, remains more mysterious in the collective imagination of Moroccans, "from which the taboo must be removed as it leads to social rejection." "In Morocco, people point at schizophrenics and their parents," says the survey, adding that professionals treating this "universal" are stigmatised.

According to the study, schizophrenia, which is a "democratic" pathology, as it affects all social and occupational categories in society, can be cured if it is treated very early. Hence, patients suffering schizophrenia should be accompanied, their communication improved, and consultation and family support reinforced. "The Moroccan society is still united compared to societies, where the family is increasingly nuclear," the study notes, adding however that late diagnosis may be the cause of the failure of treatment. Schizophrenia is a disease caused by changes in the functioning of the brain, affecting young men and women mostly in the age range of 15-25.
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=428450 
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'Inqad,' national program to 'rescue' little maids
May 11, 2006, By Andnetwork .com

The Moroccan government has embarked on a national program called "Inqad" (rescue in Arabic) to fight employment of little girls as maids and help them better their lives. The program, which was presented Tuesday, provides for an array of measures and calls for pooling efforts to reach the goals of the ten-year National Action Plan for the Childhood aiming to eradicate the labor of little girls, through opening new vistas for a better future where they can enjoy all their rights, according to authorities. Inqad, which was devised by the State secretariat in charge of Family, Childhood and the Handicapped, also aims at re-integrating these domestic servants into society.

Recent official statistics show that Morocco counts over 600,000 children under 15 in the job market, that is 11% of the country's 5.5 million children. State secretary for family, children and the handicapped, Yasmina Badou, said Inqad adopts an integrated approach that requires the input of ministries, associations, media and all the parties working in favor of the child's rights. She recalled her department's effort to promulgate an act that governs the work of children, especially in terms of legal age, which will outlaw the labor of children as domestic servants.
http://www.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/0/Home/recent.fullStory&sp=l34158 
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Moroccan hospitals need up to 9,000 nurses.

The Moroccan health sector suffers an enormous lack of human resources, ranging from 1,500 to 9,000 nurses and midwives, said Thursday the president of the Moroccan association of nursery science and health techniques, Ali Lotfi. Speaking during a meeting, themed "Sufficient Personnel Equals Saved Lives", organised in the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ibn Sina on the occasion of Nurses' Day, Lotfi underlined that this shortfall in personnel in this vital sector might lead to a rise in the number of deaths. It can also result in an increase in the number of medical errors and a weak performance, he added. He stressed the necessity of taking urgent measures to overcome this deficiency, mainly through reorganising the management of human resources, as well as their recruitment, training and deployment.

The association's president called for restructuring the whole profession, by creating a national body in charge of its organisation, and encouraging scientific research. He also called for reforming the statutes and improving working conditions. For his part, Heath Minister Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah highlighted the leading role nurses play in the health sector in Morocco, pointing out the workshops underway in the country, mainly in this sector. The success of these workshops, the minister concluded, depends on the participation of all social actors.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=14735 
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International report: Child labour decreases significantly.
5/8/2006

Child labour, especially in its worst forms, is in decline for the first time across the globe, revealed the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its latest report about child labour. The report, entitled "The End of Child Labour: Within Reach", said that the actual number of child labourers around the world fell from 246 million to 218 million between 2000 and 2004, that is a decrease of 11%. It added that the number of young people aged 5 - 17 who perform hazardous work decreased by 26% in 2004 compared to the previous estimate.

The document presents a positive view by stating that child labour could be eliminated in 10 years if the current decline continued. The organisation said that this increase is manly due to the increase of political will and awareness and concrete action, namely in the field of poverty reduction and mass education. This has led to a "worldwide movement against child labour".

Despite its optimism, the report highlights a set of challenges, especially in the sector of agriculture, where seven out of ten child labourers work.
Other challenges include dealing with the impact of HIV/AIDS on child labour, and building stronger links between child labour and youth employment concerns. The report also called on all member states which have not yet put in place appropriate time-bound measures to eliminate the worst forms of child labour to do so by 2008. "We know today that with political will, resources and the right policy choices we can definitely put an end to this scourge in the lives of so many families in the world," the report said.

In Morocco, official figures show that, in 2005, the number of children working throughout the Kingdom was about 600,000, representing 11% of the country's children. A recent study carried out jointly by the Moroccan Ministry of Employment, the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), UNICEF and the World Bank indicated that the age of working children varied between 7 and 14.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=14648 
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Witchcraft: Science or superstition? What do Moroccans choose?
By Kaoutar Tbatou / 5/7/2006

Hallucination, abnormal visions, strange voices, unbearable pain, and depressive ideas leading sometimes to crimes or suicide. All these are symptoms of various psychological problems. Usually, Moroccans can't help associating this kind of symptoms with metaphysical beliefs.
The man or woman who suffers from them is either said to be meskoun (possessed by the jinns) or meshour (under the effect of a malicious spell). Their resort therefore is visiting magicians, Fqihs (witchdoctors), or marabouts, to "cure" their pains.

On the other hand, psychiatry is another resort which is slowly but surely gaining more recognition in Morocco. According to Dr. Fatine Fifani, a Salé-based psychiatrist, the majority of her patients and those of her colleagues come to see them only after having visited dozens of Fqihs and marabouts. People in Morocco still need special reasons to visit a psychiatrist, she added. These include loss of faith in superstitious methods after investing large sums of money without any satisfactory results. Psychiatry becomes the last recourse also when psychological problems generate strong agitation, and sometimes violence, within the household or public sphere, leading the family, or even the police sometimes, to take the patient to a psychiatrist.

This feeds a major misconception about psychiatry in Morocco which links the medical field to the treatment of insanity. "Going to a psychiatrist is still a taboo in Morocco because a patient who visits a psychiatrist is sometimes perceived as mad. It is true that things are getting better in our country, but a large number of people still prefer to use their inherited methods rather than science," Dr. Fifani explained. People prefer ancestral "medication" also because it is linked in popular imagination to divine powers, compared to medicines, as an "earthly", human-created tool.

Yet, some patients decide to gamble on both methods, simultaneously trying superstition and science. Although science rejects superstition, doctors in these cases try to deal with the situation with flexibility. "We prefer to know if our patients visit a fqih at the same time. This can help us avoid side effects caused by the interaction between the medicines we give them and the traditional herbs they may take," Fifani said. "We also understand the fact that they are desperate and cling to any kind of hope, but also try to give them evidence on the positive effect of medicines," she added. Although superstition is still strong in Morocco, Dr. Fifani holds an optimistic view about the development of psychiatry. "People today are getting more and more aware of the effectiveness of psychiatry. This depends on the levels of education and awareness, and also on generations, as young people constitute the majority of our patients," she concluded.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=14620 
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Witchcraft in Morocco: A day with Shawafa.
By Karima Rhanem. 5/7/2006 Temara

"Quli Taslim" (submit to the power of Jinns). I was asked to say so at the entrance of a fortuneteller's house, located in Temera on the outskirts of Rabat. The house of Fatima Zohra was full of people from all walks of life who came to ask about their future, their relationships and their work. Fatima Zohra's house was very chic, though located near a shantytown in the area. There was a waiting room for guests, and an office with a telephone and a secretary. My colleague and I were so stirred by what we saw.

"Wow, it seems that she is richer than Bill Gates," I told my colleague laughing. "Don't forget, you are my translator and I am Madam Lopez, beware of the slip of the tongue," I added. In a taxi, before coming to see the fortuneteller (Shawafa in local dialect), we were searching for a lie to tell the Shawafa. We couldn't tell her that we are journalists and coming to do an investigative reporting on witchcraft in Morocco. So I chose to perform the character of a rich American who has been deceived by a Moroccan guy. My colleague should play the role of my translator as I am supposed to know only few words in Darija. I thought it was a funny game.

We started thinking about a name. As we were listening to a Jennifer Lopez song, we decided that I should be named Madam Lopez. Before getting to the Shawafa's house, we had mixed feelings: phobia and amusement. We hesitated before entering the house. I burst out laughing and I told my colleague: "Come on, my translator. Let's get into this adventure."

At the waiting room, we were scanning everything around. I was busy chatting with my colleague until I heard "Madam Lopiiiiiiiiiiiiiiz" with a countryside accent. The Shawafa was in her twenties. Her office was very tidy and organized. In the corner of the room, were many hjabat (talismans), magically charged objects used to attract a certain type of energy or a particular type of person.

"Bojor Madame Lopiiiiiz," said the Shawafa in a Moroccan-countryside way (Bonjour Madame Lopez in French). Fatima Zohra told my 'translator' to ask me to put an egg next to my heart and think about what I want to know. I concentrated on the story of the Moroccan guy who was supposed to have deceived me. Fatima Zohra told me about a guy that I had never known. My colleague and I found ourselves deeply involved in the 'show'.

"Madame Lopiiiiiz, rah andak laakas (you are unfortunate, and cursed). Someone has cast spell on you. Tell me; do you have any of his clothes, or anything of his belongings," said the Shawafa. "No," I answered. "Ok, what's his name and his mother's," she asked.

I looked at my supposed translator as we both didn't think about this question. My colleague answered quickly: "Morad wald Khadija".

As my colleague was talking, the phone rang. We heard the Shawafa telling the caller: "Safi gharadak takda, douz aandi bach naatik douk el hjiybat (your wishes are fulfilled, come and take your talismans), said Fatima Zohra. Her phone didn't stop ringing. It seemed that she got calls from all over Morocco and abroad.

As she was busy speaking on the phone with her clients, it gave us the opportunity to think about what we want to say next. Our thinking was interrupted with the screaming of a woman in the waiting room. Fatima Zohra jumped from her chair and rushed to the room to see what was going on. "Taslim Taslim, rah lamra tayhouha el msalmine (submit to the power of Jinns, the woman is possessed)," said some of the women in the waiting room.

Fatima Zohra asked us to wait in the room until she looked into the case of the possessed woman. "It seems that this day will never end. I don't know how much time we have to wait here. I started having little phobia," I told my colleague. Back to the waiting room, we saw people busy talking about the objective of their visit to the Shawafa, and shared their stories.

Why people consult Shawafat?
Amina, 50, said she came to the Shawafa to know about the future of her beautiful daughter. "My daughter is very beautiful, but she is nearly beyond the normal age for marriage. Lots of men ask her hand, but as soon as we agree on marriage, the men leave without reason. This has happened with at least six men and I don't want my daughter to be a spinster," said Amina. "My daughter is psychologically ill and refuses to see anyone who comes to ask her hand, as she knows that he will leave without reason like the others," added Amina. The said mother is among lots of women and men who resort to fortunetellers and Fakha to solve their problems.

Leila, another woman in her thirties said she was advised to come here to bring back her husband who no longer cares about her. I felt thirsty. My colleague asked the secretary for a glass of water. She, then showed us the way to the Kitchen. Once there, we were astonished to see several pictures of Khaliji-like men (people from the gulf, middle-east) along with candles of different colours lit on in front of the said pictures.

"It's a funny game, isn't it," I told my colleague. As we were watching the pictures, the secretary called us to see the Shawafa. The latter gave me several Talismans, along with a list of things to buy for the Boukhour (a mixture of herbs, plants, and/or essential oils in a flower or wood base that, when burned, is aromatic. Incense has been used for centuries in religious and magical rites).

My colleague asked her about the Boukhour. Fatima Zohra said we can either buy them from "el Attar" (herbs vendor) or give her MAD 1000 (about 90 Euros) to buy them for us. My colleague and I were stunned. "What's this Boukhourthat costs MAD 1000," we wondered silently as we were exchanging looks. "No, don't worry, we will buy them ourselves, anything else," my colleague told Fatima Zohra. "No, when you bring me what I asked you to do, I will tell you about the next steps," she said.

We gave the Shawafa MAD 200, and left. Then we went to see a Fkih, located in the opposite neighborhood. A Fkih is a kind of witchdoctor. He is a healer who believes that illnesses are caused by magic and are therefore best cured by it, as opposed to science or developed medicine.

We were told that in Temara, there are many fortunetellers and witchdoctors. I started feeling a terrible headache. There was a Fkih who has an echo in the area called "al-Mokhtar". This time we had to perform other characters. Men go to Fkih to gain power at workplaces My colleague and I performed the character of simple Moroccan women, who are curious to know about their future.

At the waiting room, we were surprised to see men who came to see Fkih. We previously thought that this world was only reserved for women. However, it proved to be untrue. We learned that several upper and middle class men resort to Fkih to gain power at workplaces. Some put Talismans in the corners of their offices; others splash coloured water, usually yellow, on the ground of the office. These things influence the people who get in and out from the office.

The Fkih was young in his late twenties. The majority of his clients were young men and women who resort to him for their psycho-pathological problems. Consulting a psychiatric or psychologist is not part of the Moroccan culture; only few people do. The Fkih started telling me that I will inherit a big amount of money and that I will meet the man of my life within a period of three months, but I have to get rid of my curse first and blabla blabla. The young Fkih was looking at me in a strange way while giving me Talismans. He told me to do Boukhour for 3 consecutive days, and then put a talisman into water and wash my body, but advised me not to throw this water in the toilet. Instead I should throw it on the grass.

As we left the Fkih's house, my head was turning upside and down. "What are we going to do with all these Talismans," I told my colleague. "Let's burn them," she replied. "No, we have to read them first and then see what will we do next," I stressed. I knew it was a mysterious and enigmatic world and certainly very dangerous. However, my colleague and I decided to continue the adventure. The writing on the Talismans was strange, accompanied by tables and some drawings. It seemed that it was written in the language of Jinns (evil demons having supernatural powers).

A friend of mine told me there is a woman called Najma who could help us decode the Talismans. The woman in her twenties was also a Shawafa. My friend told me she was possessed by the Jinns who were guarding a treasure buried in a place near Marrakech. Najma was kidnapped when she was 8 years-old to help the Fakha to decode the place of the treasure and open it. Fakha usually use people who are "Zohriyine" (people who have horizontal straight line in their hands, and whose eyes get crossed from time to time) to open treasures hidden in some lands hundreds or thousands years ago.

Moroccans spend lots of money on witchcraft.
While waiting to see the Shawafa, we heard two women talking about their neighbour who was possessed by Lalla Aicha. "Lalla Aicha" represents a strong and well-wishing spirit fashioned after a local heroine who battled Spanish colonizers. Several people in Morocco believe in various omens and superstitions. They also believe that Jinns rule their lives. The two ladies continued talking, but this time about their husbands. I understood that it was the objective of their visit to the Shawafa.

In Morocco, several women do not go to psychologists or marriage counselors (rarely or ever existed), they go instead to see clairvoyants. One of them said: "I suspected my husband betraying me with another woman. But don't worry; the Shawafa will take charge of that." According to popular belief, a woman who wants to bring back her husband must collect some of his sperm and then give it to a witchdoctor.

It was our turn to see the third Shawafa for that day. Najma, the Shawafa, started laughing when she read the Talismans given to us by the Fkih. She told me that they are meant to attract me to the Fkih as he liked me. "If you use these Talismans, you will be obsessed by the Fkih and unable to restraint yourself from seeing him very often," she said. I looked with my colleague and said to myself: "Oh God, that's not funny anymore; it started getting dangerous." "Can you help us get rid off these Talismans," I told Najma.

She accepted on condition that we give her MAD 300 (about 27 Euros). I gave her the money as I only wanted to run out of the place and go back home. Suddenly a woman started screaming. I thought it was the same scenario as it happened in the house of the other Shawafa. But I was wrong. This time, it was more serious than before. The lady was in a complete hysteria. The lady started talking a different language with a man's voice. We were asked not to talk, not to laugh and not to move. There was a face to face dialogue between the Shawafa and the woman, or the spirit who possessed her as they say. As soon as the Shawafa took the lady in another room, we run away from the house, leaving all the Talismans and everything behind. It was truly a mishap, but interesting to discover a hidden world.

We concluded that the Fakha and Shawafat therapies are varied. People use these methods according to their money. Some use the candles to attract the people they love (it costs no more than MAD 50); others use Kouboul
(attraction) and it costs around MAD 300 to MAD 500. People also prefer to use Ldoune (sort of metal used to undo bad hex). Those who have a lot of money use Kouboul made up of the hyena's brain, and other herbs (the hyena's brain could cost up to MAD 20,000).
Islam bans the practice of sorcery, science rejects superstitions Islam bans the practice of sorcery. The religion states that the bewitched person could be cured by using Koranic verses. Muslim leaders preach against it in mosques and denounce sorcery as a pagan satanic rite.

Psychiatry also states that hallucination, abnormal visions, strange voices, unbearable pain, and depressive ideas are symptoms of a person who has psychological problems. Yet, several Moroccans still can't help but associating this kind of symptoms with metaphysical beliefs and chose to waste their money and gamble with their lives to see a Fkih or a Shawafa.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=14614 
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Unemployment under 10% for first time in 35 years.
By Bachir Niah 5/11/2006

For the first time in 35 years, the rate of unemployment gets under the threshold of 10%, said Wednesday the High Commissariat for Planning (HCP). In a communiqué on the job market situation in Morocco, the ministry said that the rate of unemployment reached 9.8% in the first quarter of the year 2006, compared to 11.3% in the same period last year. "The rate of unemployment has shrunk to 9.8% for the first time since the general census of 1971," reads the communiqué.

In the same period under study, in urban areas unemployment decreased to 15.4% and in the rural ones to 3.9%, whereas it was 19.2% and 3.3%, respectively, last year. Counting about 11,128,000 people, 26.1% of whom are women, the active Moroccan population is divided almost equally between urban and rural areas, 5,686,000 and 5,442,000 respectively. The HCP underlined that the rate of unemployed active women stands at 25.2%, 5.1 of them non-diploma holders and 18.6 diploma holders. As for age brackets, people of 15-24 and 25-34 see the highest rate of unemployment, with 15.3% and 14.2% respectively, compared to only 6.1% and 2.6% for people of 35-44 and 45 and over.

The ministry also stated that 506,000 of remunerated jobs were created during the first quarter of the year, while the number of non-remunerated jobs fell to 428,000, 94% of them located in the rural zones.Among the sectors that have contributed to the creation of jobs are construction, public works, agriculture, forests, fisheries, and services.
http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=5&id=14722 
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Morocco earns $1bn from travel sector.
10 May 2006 Rabat

Earnings from the travel sector in Morocco rose to $1.15bn for the first quarter of 2006, up 15.8 percent compared to the same period in 2005.
The Board of Exchange said earnings for the first quarter of 2006 exceeded the first quarter average for 2001 to 2005 by 49.8 percent.
The board, under the finance ministry, said that the performance was mainly due to foreign exchange from tourists, which rose by 25.1 percent and, to a lesser extent, to bank transfers received by operators in the tourist industry, with a 2.8 percent rise. For March 2006 alone, travel earnings stood at $313mn, up 7.3 percent from $290mn in March 2005. As for travel expenditure, the board gave the figure of $1.23mn , up from $1.076mn a year earlier - an increase of 14.4 percent. The rise is due to bank transfers (up 15.8 percent) and foreign exchange provisions (up 13.1 percent). The travel balance shows a surplus of $8.79mn, up from $7.57mn at the end of March 2005 (up 16 percent). 
panapress http://www.businessinafrica.net/news/north_africa/305957.htm 
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GDP grows 5.7% in Q1 of 2006.
Rabat, May 9

The growth rate of the Gross Domestic Product in Morocco recorded a 5.7% increase during the 1st quarter of 2006, contributed to by
3.1 points by agriculture, the High Commissioner for Planning said (HCP). In its April conjuncture report, the commissioner said the overall GDP grew 5.7%, but only about 4% when excluding the agriculture added value. The industrial added value rose 3.3%, after a 1.6% increase in the last quarter of 2005, the report said adding the good performance was made thanks to the projects carried out by the construction, infrastructure and public works sector.

The energy sector also achieved a 3.6% rise compared to 15.5% during the same period of last year, the report said explaining the slackening was caused by the hike of commodity prices, especially oil and coal.

Transports and communications were spurred by the sales of cellular phones and Internet access and the consolidation of transport means, notably the opening of international airlines to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Mining activity however declined following a 3.6% decrease of phosphates output. The Masi and Madex stock indices grew 32.7 and 34.5%, respectively, in the Q1 of 2006, a progress higher than the performance of the past year.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/economy/gdp_grows_5.7_in_q1/view 
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On Campaign.
Volume 96. 12.05.2006

The recent granting of 11 new licences to operate private TV channels and radio stations is not only expected to boost Morocco's advertising industry - many think it could also help the country assert itself as a regional media leader. As Rachid Hamdad, the deputy managing director of leading agency TBWA Alif, recently told OBG, "The next great step ahead for the advertising industry is the liberalisation of broadcasting."

To that purpose, a new bill was adopted by parliament in late 2004, following numerous months of negotiations. The central plank of this new deal is the decision to dole out private licences to new broadcasters, both national and foreign, with the latter required to "scrupulously respect the kingdom's monarchic and Muslim values, as well as its territorial integrity" - a provision meant to reaffirm the well-known "red lines" that have long constrained freedom of speech in the local media.

Morocco launched an invitation to tender in February this year, and received some 86 applications, yet only seven projects for TV channels and 49 for radio stations were short-listed in the pre-selection process. On May 10, the High Council for Broadcasting (CSCA) announced its decision to grant 11 new licences to private broadcasters. The CSCA granted only one TV licence to operate a private TV channel, which will broadcast domestic and international news by satellite.

The broadcasting sector's regulating body also granted 10 licences for radio stations, including seven local or regional stations and three thematic stations. The latter consist of a multi-regional station tackling economics and finance for Casablanca and Rabat, another one on economics for the regions of Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and Meknes, and a musical station that will air around Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech.

Meanwhile, in early 2006, the sector's main players - advertisers, broadcast media, communications and advertising sales agencies - finally managed to land a deal regarding the issue of audience ratings. These have long been based on surveys conducted by Créargie, but this method has reached its limits, especially because of the emergence of "homo zapiens" - the channel surfer - and the related volatility of an audience during commercial breaks.

This led the sector's players to set up a joint commission and, together with HACA, to entrust Maroc Métrie, a consortium headed by the French audience rating leader Médiamétrie, with the mission of implementing a new rating system. Maroc Métrie won the tender with its well-tested audience measurement system, which will be based on a 750-family panel.

The system, which is expected to be operational around mid-2007, will provide precise audience ratings for the main categories of viewers, and allow agencies to target potential customers accordingly. Hence, they will be able to fine tune their campaigns, just as the establishment in 2004 of a press circulation assessment entity, OJD Maroc, helped the print media sector become more professional.

While most sector insiders concur to say these changes herald a new era for the Moroccan advertising sector, there is some disagreement over where exactly the sector is heading to. Doom merchants were quick to point out that advertising budgets are limited, so that with more TV channels and radio channels available, the existing expenditure will simply be split between more players, which is seen as bad omen for the quality and diversity of programmes.

In their view, with the HACA planning to decrease advertising time per hour from 16 minutes per hour in 2006 to just 12 in 2008 for the two state-owned channels, the loss of advertising revenue could generate a vicious circle in which the levelling down of programmes would entice viewers away from national channels, towards satellite TV, thus further reducing revenues.

On the other hand, optimists are hopeful that with more diversity in programming, the sector will manage to recapture part of the audience it has long lost to satellite channels, which are thought to divert roughly half of the domestic audience away from national advertisers. Indeed, with better targeted and regionally focused programmes, the launch of new broadcasting media should bolster the advertisers' base.

According to Ali Bakkali, the head of Régie 3, "The market has reached a plateau with large advertisers, and it now needs to attract small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] to move up to the next level."

The upcoming liberalisation should thus help agencies entice SMEs, especially those positioned in regional or niche markets, towards mass media advertising - a move that would significantly boost growth in the sector.

In addition, more precise audience ratings should allow marketers and advertisers to better target the audience, and initiate a new development stage in the industry, with more finely tuned campaigns and a better focus on strategic media planning. This would in turn provide an incentive for mass media to offer better and more targeted programmes, thus initiating a virtuous circle.

In this ideal case scenario, which many in the sector think will materialise
- although possibly after a harsh period of adjustment - the increased professionalism across the industry could help Morocco achieve its objective of taking a strong position as the advertising centre for North Africa. The country seems to have what it takes, with much more competitive subcontractors (such as publishers and production agencies) than can be found in its sub-regional competitors.

Moreover, while many Middle Eastern campaigns are lead by agencies based in Lebanon or Dubai, Moroccan insiders are hinting that the Maghreb's cultural differences and French-influenced culture could justify stand-alone campaigns, at least when Moroccan agencies develop the necessary creative skills. This calls for the emergence of high-level advertising training in Morocco, a key condition for Morocco to assert itself as the undisputed regional leader.

With the new stations and channels expected to start broadcasting in late
2006 and early 2007, and a second round of private licences to be doled out at a later stage, Morocco looks set to upgrade its broadcasting and advertising industries. It remains to be seen whether sector players will prove able to leverage this unique opportunity to bring the industry to maturity and establish it firmly as the regional leader.
http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/weekly01.asp?id=1984 
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Morocco to commemorate May 16 anniversary.
May 10, 2006,

Moroccan Youth State Secretariat will organize on May 13 and 14 various events to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the May 16 attacks, which left 45 people dead in Casablanca. These events "reiterate rejection of Moroccan youth, and Moroccan people in general, of terrorism and violence in all its forms and their ongoing struggle against this phenomenon that contradicts our values and the most sacred human rights, namely the right to life," underlined Tuesday a State Secretariat communiqué.

Under the sign "No to terrorism... Yes to life," the events will feature intellectual, education and communication activities to reaffirm youth's attachment to the values of democracy, coexistence, dialog and security, read the document. On this occasion, Casablanca will host on May 13-14 a national festival that will bring together 30 young music bands, in addition to theatre groups and soccer teams http://www.andnetwork.com/index?service=direct/0/Home/recent.titleStory&sp=l33995 
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CCDH and Moroccan Interior Minister to collaborate towards a new human rights culture.
By Hassan Benmehdi from 10/05/2006

The 25th session of the Consultative Council on Human Rights that was held Saturday in Rabat was marked by the Interior Minister's declaration of support for the national plan to promote human rights in Morocco. At the 25th session of the Consultative Council on Human Rights (CCDH) meeting, held Saturday (6 May) in Rabat, the CCDH gave a round-up of all activities and actions it has undertaken related to human rights in Morocco. Despite the absence of CCDH President Driss Benzekri, the meeting was still of great interest to several NGOs, Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa and many human rights workers.

The CCDH also discussed its action plan for this year, and put forward plans relating to its annual report on the human rights situation in 2005. Particular attention was paid to the thematic report on illegal immigration. The agenda for the meeting also included renewal of the CCDH's working groups and international activities. However, two decisions grabbed the attention of the Moroccan public.

Firstly, people took notice of the CCDH decision to embark on a citizenship charter project. CCDH Secretary-General Al Mahjoub El Hiba said such a project was necessary to be in line with achievements in the human rights field, and to overcome challenges in the area, which continue to present a real obstacle to the development of a human rights culture in Morocco. The decision, according to El Hiba, reflects the CCDH's will to unite all those working in the field in setting up a real action plan and promoting a human rights culture in Morocco. He said the CCDH can become a meeting point for discussion and concerted effort between NGOs, civil society, political parties, and university and international partners. He reminded meeting attendees of the recent creation of a monitoring and co-operation mechanism to implement the action plan, noting that the criteria adopted for choosing participating members included constant effort, experience and knowledge of the aspects of the soon-to-be-implemented plan.

The initiative also aims to put in practice the royal concept of authority, King Mohammed VI mentioned in a 12 October 1999 speech, in which he stressed that the assimilation of the principles of human rights is the cornerstone of an orderly state and that society based on respect for human rights in connection with human, social, economic and cultural development will lay the foundations for a modern democratic society.

The second noteworthy decision at the CCDH meeting came from the intervention of Benmoussa, who declared his ministry's intention and will to work together with the council through the signing of a partnership and co-operation agreement. Benmoussa pointed out that this initiative will be included in teaching programmes at the Royal Police Institute, the Interior Ministry's professional development school for senior executives,- as well as at the auxiliary forces and civil protection training centres. The signing of the partnership agreement is expected to take place soon.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/05/10/feature-01 
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