Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
October 21 , 2006

Rural Electrification rated between 65% and 70%, minister.
Rabat, Oct. 12

The rural electrification rate in Morocco ranges between 65 and 70%, revealed here Thursday, Mohamed Mohattane, the Secretary of State in charge of rural development. Almost 65% of rural homes are supplied with drinking water, Mohattane noted in an interview published by the Arabic-speaking paper "Rissalat Al-Oumma," on the fringes of the national Farmers Day. The Moroccan official underlined the government's efforts to reduce deficits in the countryside, in line with the Moroccan Initiative for the Human Development.

Announced on May 18, 2005 by king Mohammed VI, the INDH is meant to spur social action in Morocco through a global, integrated and lasting approach. It is based on integrated programs to reduce social disparities and fight exclusion and designed to provide basic infrastructure to millions, from adequate housing and drinking water to health care and education.

Illiteracy represents one of the challenges imposed to the rural area, he said adding that 75% of Moroccan farmers face this plague which prevents from upholding globalization as well as integration to a number of free-exchange agreements with the European Union.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/rural_electrificatio/view
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Development associations to be given USD 288k for their 2006 projects.
Rabat, Oct 17

Thirteen Moroccan associations are to be given a total of MAD 2.6Mn, about USD 288,000, for their 2006 sustainable development projects, part of the program in this respect of the Water and Environment Department of the north African country carried out in cooperation with the UNDP. The partnership conventions on the involved projects were signed here on Monday by the department and the associations, on the occasion of the Arab Environment Day.

The Moroccan environment program has been allotted MAD 12Mn since 2001 for the support of some 50 projects. At an information meeting held here under the theme "Deserts and Sustainable Development", Mohamed Amir, Secretary General of the Environment Department, said the conventions are also part of the program aiming at enhancing partnership with the civil society. He added one of the convention signed with the UNDP is to allow several associations working in local sustainable development fields to benefit from micro financing from the World Environment Fund.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/development_associat/view
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Over 600k attend literacy classes in 2005-2006 school year.
Rabat, Oct. 12

Some 655,478 people attended literacy classes during the 2005-2006 school year, revealed Moroccan Secretary of state in charge of literacy and informal education. Some 34,294 benefited from non-formal education and 133,275 from education support, according to a press release issued on the occasion of the National Literacy Day, which was institutionalized on October 13, 2004 by king Mohammed VI. Morocco aspires to provide literacy classes to one million people per year, lower the illiteracy rate to 20% by 2010 and eradicate this phenomenon by 2015. The Moroccan ministry of Education was attributed, on September 23, the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy for its non-formal education program.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/over_600k_attend_lit/view
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Under Morocco’s Spell.
The Kasbah du Toubkal, a mountain retreat in the High Atlas outside Marrakesh, is not for the faint of heart or weak of knee. To reach it, you drive up a winding mountain road to the village of Imlil, walk for 20 long minutes up a gravel path, enter a wooden gate and keep walking. But once inside the central garden, you begin to get the point. Filled with wildflowers, it opens onto a splendid vista — reddish-brown mountains dotted with green walnut groves and boxy mud-brick villages, farmers tending sheep on distant hills, and Mount Toubkal rising snow-capped and gray-blue in the distance.    …… (read more on this by clicking here):
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/travel/22Morocco.html?oref=slogin
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Morocco cracks down on piracy.
16/10/2006 By Sarah Touahri

Morocco has recently been taking serious steps to crack down on piracy, which is estimated to cost the country $226m per year. Authorities have recently been closing down shops and music stands that sell pirated goods. Music vendors worry that the recent crackdown could harm their businesses, while the Moroccan Copyright Office says the new measure will help domestic production. Abdellah Ouedghiri, chief of the Moroccan Copyright Office (BMDA), told Magharebia his office is taking measures to tackle piracy, which costs Morocco an estimated $226m annually. Over the last few days, the office has been running a public information campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of piracy with television and radio spots on its negative consequences and the risk of imprisonment under a new law.

The BMDA and the Moroccan Film Centre are also undertaking seizures, the most recent of which took place on Wednesday (October 11th) at Rabat's Bab El Had market. Hundreds of pirated CDs were confiscated and destroyed. Ouedghiri, who was present during the operation, told Magharebia that CDs not bearing a BMDA mark may not be sold or purchased. "We want to support domestic production by protecting copyrights. These operations are intended to make investment in this sector more viable," he says.

Dealers fear that repeated seizures will be harmful to their interests. Ahmed Sinouna, who experienced a seizure, asserts that if CDs were more affordable, unofficial trade would not happen. His neighbour Rachid Belhcen points out, "We used to sell original CDs for 70 dirhams to 80 dirhams, but in the face of competition with cut-price pirated CDs, we had to follow suit." Ouedghiri counters that even if prices are lowered, pirated copies will always be the cheapest available. The days when people could get away with pirating are truly over, he says, adding that new legislation will have a positive effect on copyrights.

For the first time, piracy will become punishable by a jail term (of between six months and four years) and fines could reach $68,000. The holder of a copyright or related right will be able to make a written request to the customs and indirect tax department to suspend the free circulation of goods which are suspected of being counterfeit or pirated and possibly in breach of copyright or related rights.

An interdepartmental committee set up to tackle piracy is co-ordinating the efforts of all participants in the sector through circulars from regional heads and governors. BMDA officials now have the authority to confiscate pirated goods directly without having to seek government authorisation. While many traders earn a living from piracy, Ouedghiri says their loss of livelihood cannot be bemoaned. Otherwise, "We'll have to do the same thing with drugs and shantytowns. What we need are solutions, in particular legalisation of the informal sector." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2006/10/16/feature-01
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Agadir prepares for Concert for Tolerance.
16/10/2006

A Concert for Tolerance will be held in Agadir on Saturday (November 4th). The event is held under the aegis of King Mohammed VI and aims at promoting the town as a tourist destination. Around 8 million people will be able to watch the concert, which will be broadcasted by Morocco's 2M, and France's TF1 and TV5. Zucchero, Pascal Obispo, F.Pagny, Helene Segara, Faudel, Chab Mami, Lorie, and Amina have already confirmed their participation.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/10/16/newsbrief-06
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Over USD 974K to fund Morocco's environment-friendly programs.
Brussels, Oct.19

Some USD 974,908 will be allotted to two Moroccan environment-friendly projects within the frame of the 2006 Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE)-Third countries program, said here Thursday the European Commission. Initiated by the El Jadida University (west), The first project is granted USD 548,882 to implement a longer lasting management operating system of solid waste. The second project, to get USD 426,026, is to study at the University of Settat (center) the best available technologies for treating liquid waste.

Since 1992, the LIFE program has co-funded almost 2,500 projects covering 40 countries and territories and made commitments of USD 1.63Bn. The programme has supported a wide range of projects, tackling problems and developing solutions across a number of sectors and has addressed most key environmental issues, in line with EU environmental policy priorities.

LIFE-Third countries is part of the life Program. It aims to contribute to the establishment of capacities and administrative structures needed in the environmental sector and in the development of environmental policy and action programmes in third countries bordering on the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea other than central and east European accession candidate countries.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/world/over_usd_974k_to_fun/view
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Moroccan NGOs to receive 2.6m dirhams in 2006 for sustainable development projects.  
18/10/2006

Agreements for allocating a budget of 2.6 million dirhams this year to 13 Moroccan NGOs for sustainable development projects were signed Monday (October 16th), as part of the programme of Morocco's Water and Environment Department and the UN Development Programme. During an information meeting called "Deserts and Sustainable Development", Mohamed Amir, secretary general of the environment department, said another important objective of the programme is enhancing partnership between the government and civil society. He added several associations working in local sustainable development will benefit from micro financing from the World Environment Fund under the same programme. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/10/18/newsbrief-06
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Dedication of social projects worth USD 373K south.
Ouarzazate (south), Oct. 20

King Mohammed VI, accompanied by prince Moulay Rachid (younger brother) and prince Moulay Ismail (cousin), dedicated, Friday in the town of Ouarzazate (530 km south of Rabat) social projects worth USD 373,692. Set up in Tarmight, Ouarzazate by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, the first project is a social center for women amounting to USD 167,990. On an area of 4,550 sqm, the center aims to provide a welcome and multi-disciplinary training space for the youth and the females of the Tarmight commune, in order to uphold their integration in the social and economic fields. On the same occasion, the Sovereign was given explanations about the USD 571,395 development program, which is destined to provide the area with 6 housing and tourism infrastructures to bolster self-development.

On the same day, king Mohammed VI also inaugurated a 910-sqm Sales Center for local women cooperative products amounting to USD 205,702, which is meant to enhance women revenues and conditions. On this occasion, the monarch honored the managers of the companies taking part in the two projects with commemorative plates. On the other hand, the monarch inquired at Assomal mosque in Ouarzazate about the National literacy program in mosques, launched in 2005 to promote the spiritual and cultural role of mosques. The King honored the best students with merit distinctions. The 2005-2006 program was aimed to benefit 60,000 persons, a number which practically doubled to reach 124,022 people, with 84 thousand in the cities, and about 40 thousands in the country. More than three quarters of the beneficiaries of the program are women, and they receive literacy lessons in 166 mosques, 76 of which are in rural area. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/dedication_of_social2108/view
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The elderly will comprise 11% of Moroccans in 2020, Minister.
Rabat, Oct. 18

The proportion of old persons will attain 11% of the Moroccan demographic structure in 2020 and 20% in 2040, said the State Secretary in charge of the Family, Childhood and the Disabled, Yamina Baddou. Her department, said Baddou at a question time Wednesday in the House of Representatives, will set up a national project for old people that takes stock in the recommendations of the national colloquium organized lately on "Solidarity between Generations, a Challenge of Tomorrow's Society." The plan, she explained, includes several aspects and targets goals relating to health, ageing diseases, development of social protection regimes and the betterment of the quality of life in the institutions that take care of the elderly. This initiative will be founded on the cultural, civilizational and Islamic capital, with solidarity as a watchword.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/the_elderly_will_com/view
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French telephony operator outsourcing some 1,000 jobs to Morocco .
Paris, Oct. 19

The French "Orange" telephony operator is outsourcing some 1,000 jobs to Morocco, "La Tribune" economic daily said Thursday. According to the "Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens " (CFTC), quoted by the daily, "Orange" is outsourcing the "Mobicarte" calls as well as after sale services that represent more than 1,000 jobs. The CFTC said a Casablanca-based call center could get the contract. Morocco has set up over 100 call centers that earn a turnover of some MAD 800Mn (USD 89Mn), and secure about ten thousand job opportunities. Some 85% of this turnover is generated through activities with France and Spain. The quality of human resources, their cost-related effectiveness, and a flexible and stable social environment have contributed to the success of this industry in Morocco. 80% of these call centers are concentrated in the Casablanca-Rabat region. In 2000 to 2004, the Kingdom set up 56 outsourced call centers employing at the time some 6,000 agents
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_economy/french_telephony_ope/view
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FDI into Morocco reach nearly $3 billion in 2005. 
17/10/2006

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Morocco increased from $1.07 billion to $2.9 billion from 2004 to 2005, Marwane Mansouri, head of the studies and information department of Investment Direction, said at the presentation of the 2006 report on investments in the world issued by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The telecommunications, tourism, real estate, industry, and insurance sectors made up a major part of FDI. In the first half of this year, the foreign investments committee approved 33 projects. FDI amounted to about $2.31 billion and contributed to the creation of 7,664 job opportunities in the same period, making this year a "record year" for the committee, Mansouri said. (Le Matin, Aujourd'hui Le Maroc, MAP)
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/news/awi/newsbriefs/general/2006/10/17/newsbrief-04
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