Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
February 16, 2008

MCC, Morocco ink agreements to 'operationalize' Millennium Challenge Compact .
Rabat, Feb.14

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Morocco inked, on Wednesday , two agreements to "operationalize" the USD 697.5Mn Millennium Challenge Compact, concluded in August between the Moroccan and the US governments. Signed by Moroccan Minister of Finance, Salaheddine Mezouar, and MCC CEO, John Danilovitch, the Compact Implementation Funding (CIF) agreement defines, for a transitional period (up to July 2008), the appropriate conditions and instruments that make it possible to mobilize the disbursement of the required funds to implement the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program.

The second agreement aims to set up the appropriate mechanisms to manage the fiscal aspect within the framework of the same program. Speaking on this occasion, Moroccan Prime Minister, Abbass El Fassi, recalled the importance of this financial cooperation agreement which “illustrates the quality and intensity of Moroccan-US relations and constitutes an opportunity to widen the field of bilateral cooperation.” For his part, the MCC CEO stressed the importance of the Moroccan-US partnership, underlining that the expected projects “will have an impact on the reduction of poverty and the ability to sustain economic growth amongst the population.”

The Millennium Challenge Compact , the largest grant MCC has awarded since its creation in 2004, are to fund five major projects. This involves fruit-tree growing (USD300.9 Mn), small-scale fisheries (USD116.17 Mn), artisan and Fez medina (USD111.87 Mn), financial services (USD 46.20 Mn), and enterprise support (USD33.85 Mn). The Compact also includes approximately USD 88.5Mn for monitoring, evaluation, program administration and oversight. The Compact is also expected to increase Morocco's GDP by approximately USD118Mn annually and directly benefit a total of 600,000 families.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government corporation, designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination of poverty. Morocco was announced eligible for the Millennium Challenge Compact assistance in November 2005.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/imp_social/mcc_morocco_ink_agr/viewMoroccan
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Reform of educational system requires involvement of all, Minister.
Meknès (center), Feb. 12

Reforming Morocco's educational system is an endeavor that requires the involvement of everybody, including politicians, elected representatives, companies, and the civil society, Education Minister, Ahmed Akhchichine, said on Monday. Education is a priority that calls upon all those involved to contribute and commit in order to succeed the reform process in this field, Mr. Akhchichine said at a meeting with the Meknès-Tafilalet educational academy, held in the historical town of Volubilis, near Meknès.

The minister said that during the last eight years (since the coming into force of the national education Charter), the schooling rate stood at 94% in the primary school, 74.5% at junior high school, and 48% at professional training schools. He admitted that the elementary schooling failed to reach the desired results as the schooling rate of children aged 4 to 5 barely stood at 59.7%. Prime minister, Abbas El Fassi, had said last week that the government has elaborated several education-related reform programs, underlining that the latest Word Bank report did not include any new elements in this regard.

He said facing the "weaknesses" of the educational system needs "radical reforms" to give a new impetus to the sector.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/reform_of_educationa/view
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GDP expected to grow in 2008.
15/02/2008

Driven by domestic demand and international tourism, Morocco's economy is expected to achieve a growth rate of 6.1% in 2008, the High Commissioner for Planning (HCP) announced on Thursday (February 14th). In its 2008 national economy forecast, the HCP said it expects inflation to increase slightly due to slow growth in the economies of Morocco's main trade partners, the US, Japan, and the Euro-zone. Import prices are expected to remain high and global demand for Moroccan exports is expected to decrease. However, the domestic economy appears set to benefit from improved agricultural conditions, after a poor harvest in 2007. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2008/02/15/newsbrief-06
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IFAD grants Morocco USD 18Mn to fund development project.
Rome, Feb. 15

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) granted Morocco some USD 18Mn to fund a rural development project in the mountainous areas of the province of Errachidia (482 south of Rabat). The loan represents 69.3 % of the overall cost estimated at USD 27Mn. The government is to contribute by 28% while the beneficiaries will provide the remaining 2.7 %.

The project aims to fight poverty in rural areas through the sustainable diversification of income for the rural population, promote local capacities and facilitate access to technical expertise, financial services and markets. Benefiting some 17 rural communes in the province, the project focuses on improving living conditions through the opening up and rehabilitation of land, providing drinking water, and carrying out economic activities in para-agricultural and non-agricultural fields. The project also provides for fostering community-driven local development and targeting mountain areas, with a focus on women and young people and improved natural resource management.

IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. Since 1979, IFAD has financed ten rural development projects in Morocco, for a total of USD 165.1Mn.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box4/ifad_grants_morocco/view
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Over USD 9Bn earmarked for 72 projects in Morocco in 2007, PM
Feb 12, 2008 - Morocco earmarked some USD 9.15Bn to carry out some 72 projects last year, which represents an 15% increase from the year earlier, announced, here Monday, Moroccan Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi. These projects are expected to generate some 40,000 jobs, that is a 30% rise compared to the year 2006, while in 2005 the number of jobs created was only 15,400 jobs, the minister added at the opening of the meeting of the investments commission, the first in 2008. These projects were approved by the commission concerned different sectors, particularly tourism and textile, in nine regions of the Kingdom. Mr. El Fassi noted that the contribution of investments sector to the GDP moved from 25% to 31%, while foreign investments quadrupled. Arab investments, he said, constituted one third of the investments approved by the commission in 2007, while Moroccan expatriates' investments reached 50%.
http://www.morocconewsline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=337
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Morocco: 'Hottest retirement destination in the world,' The Observer.
Feb 12, 2008

Morocco is taking advantage of its sunny weather and mild tax system to become the hottest retirement destination in the world and supplant once most favored destinations like Côte d'Azur or Costa del Sol, The Observer wrote on Sunday. Thousands of European citizens from Britain, Italy, Spain, but mostly from France are flocking to the north Africa country attracted by the sun, cheap property and tax breaks, and benefiting low-cost flights from several European cities to Morocco, the paper said.

"They are pouring in. More and more everyday," Anne Locquet, a French estate agent in the Atlantic city of Essaouira told The Observer. Ms. Locauet is among the masses of foreigners who chose to settle in Morocco either to launch their businesses or to spend their retirement. "In Marrakech [the country's top tourist destination], the London paper said, local authorities say that they have issued 8,000 residence permits to French nationals, many retired,” while in Meknes, a medieval town 140km east of Rabat, a thousand foreigners have registered with the town hall. In all, Morocco is thought to count for some 50,000 foreigners, it said.

“The problem in France is tax and all the regulation. It is much easier here,” Evelyne Feraud, a recently retired French lady, who is running a jewellery workshop said. Meknès mayor, Boubaker Belkora, was quoted by the paper as saying: “We encourage foreign people to come to live among us. Not only do they boost the economy but they help to break down cultural barriers. Their presence here shows how communities can live together in mutual respect and affection.”
http://www.morocconewsline.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=338
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Long way down: a journey through the Atlas mountains.
Sunday, 10 February 2008

Fashion designer Jacques Azagury enjoys visiting Morocco, the land of his birth, as a break from the hectic pace of life in London. He tells Ian McCurrach about his recent road trip. I spent my early years growing up in Casablanca in Morocco. Back then, in the late 1950s, Casablanca was very French, very European. My parents, like the city, were glamorous and dressed really beautifully. So it came as quite a shock when we moved to the East End of London when I was eight. London seemed so bleak – dark and cold, the people looked so grey, nothing like the pictures of elaborately dressed Victorian women I had seen on the tins of Quality Street that my father brought back from business trips.

These days I return to Morocco to take a break from my busy London life, which revolves around the demands of my design studio and boutique in Knightsbridge. And though it takes under three hours to fly there, once I arrive my London life seems light years away; Morocco submerges visitors into a completely different and exotic culture.

On my most recent visit I took a road trip from Marrakech, looping down through the Atlas Mountains to Essaouira. I began my journey at the Riad Dar Al Sultan in Marrakech, a small traditional riad with modern, minimalist interiors – white, bright and totally unfussy. It has a great cook who prepares fabulous food which she serves on the roof terrace: I recommend the couscous with caramelised grapes and baked fish with lemon.

The riad is in the heart of the medina and within walking distance of the famous Djemaa El Fna square. There, I smelled something that immediately transported me back to my childhood. It was grilled female locusts, piled high on one of the stalls. Delicious. They are a real delicacy; crunchy, salty and smoky. I loved eating them as a child.

The square is filled with snake charmers, jugglers and Bambara men from West Africa, who tour the square swinging tassels above their skull caps. You can also see Chleuh dancing boys showing off – this is Morocco, so tradition would be against girls providing street entertainment. As dark falls, the square fills with dozens of food stalls and the smells are intoxicating. This is where you find real Moroccan food at its best, like my mother makes. For a treat sample some herira soup with harissa, and to be like a local, squeeze lemon into it.

One of my favourite restaurants in Marrakech is Le Tobsil. It is difficult to find, at the end of a narrow
derb or alleyway. But a man with a fez hovers at the entrance to the alley near the time of your booking and collects you from your taxi. He then accompanies you through dark winding alleys to the restaurant. Just getting there is quite an adventure. Inside, it's an Arabian palace scattered with Persian rugs, with rose petals strewn everywhere. You sit low down at little round tables or banquettes. Gnawa musicians play ambient trance music and the set traditional meal (many meze dishes and a tagine and couscous dish) just keeps on coming, but the portions are quite small and utterly delicious.

If you want to reach the coast in a hurry, Essaouira is now connected to Marrakech by a new motorway, making it only a two-hour drive. This is thanks to the vision and ambition of King Mohammed VI, the young prince who came to power in 1999, who, along with liberalising the political system, has put initiatives in place to improve the infrastructure and exploit the opportunities for tourism.

But I set off south on the rough and dusty road to the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, which soar through layers of pink mist. It is there that you can see some of Morocco's most startling mountain-desert scenery; sinuous canyons and lush oases. The area is mostly deserted but occasionally people appear from nowhere carrying vast square bales of scrub on their backs. I stopped at Imlil, a tiny mountain village where there are many small agencies offering adventure and trekking services – you can book on the spot.

I arranged an English-speaking guide, a cook and a mule (to carry the bags and food supplies) for a three-day trek through the High Atlas around the base of Jebel Toubkal, which at 13,670ft is the highest mountain in North Africa. The trek itself was relatively easy – I took it a bit at a time, slowly making my way up to the snowline. The guide arranged for me to spend the first night with a local family in a traditional stone Bedouin house – a real taste of Berber country, away from French influences.

These houses are cool inside – a relief after a long day trekking in the hot sun. The cook prepared simple but delicious meals – mostly tagines or couscous – and after dinner I sat on the terrace and watched dusk turn into night over the Atlas. There is no electricity, so the mountains were suddenly illuminated with hundreds of oil lamps from the houses. At night the temperature dips, so I snuggled under a mountain of rustic blankets.

The circular trek took me back to Imlil where I picked up the car and drove on towards Taroudant. On the way, I went through the Tizi'*'Test pass, a range of lush valleys and arid gorges, peppered with small Berber villages, consisting mainly of pink and yellow houses surrounded by olive groves. The pass is 6,500ft above sea level, so the views are sensational.

Coming out of the pass into the Sahara, I stumbled across a dusty uninhabited village of adobe sun-baked houses. There I saw an amazing vision. Suddenly, from out of a windswept alley and through clouds of dust came a man on a white stallion. He was wearing flowing white robes and a white turban: it was like something from Biblical times. Soon after, I reached a valley where there were lots of goats perched in trees. It's a common sight in areas where there are argan trees because goats love eating their pulpy fruit.

My next stop was the walled city of Taroudant. I stayed just outside at the Gazelle d'Or where I enjoyed a little light pampering. I indulged in some body scrubs that were particularly invigorating. The property is set in 200 acres of orange groves and gardens. Its interiors are modern with big open spaces – very calming and relaxing. Dinner in the evenings is eaten around the pool terrace or in a tented pavilion and much of the produce is locally sourced from the property's organic farm. The ruggedly beautiful sub-Sahara is at its best if you loop south of Taroudant to Tiznit. This is a really isolated part of the country and takes you past more camel trains than cars. The desert here is amazing and the rock formations look as if they have been painted – vast swirls of terracotta, cream and turquoise undulating in wavy lines.

My final stop was the Villa Maroc in Essaouira. I have just produced my first fragrance, called Azagury and the perfume was inspired by some very strong cedar notes that I smelt at the villa during my stay. Villa Maroc is decorated in white and electric blue and was one of the first riads to be converted into a hotel. It has a laid-back boho chic feel – it's like staying in someone's home. I love having breakfast on its roof terrace overlooking the port and old town.

The villa dates back to the 18th century and is just inside the medieval ramparts of the old town. In the past, Essaouira has been mainly a hot spot for backpackers and windsurfers but is tipped to be the "new" Marrakech since the opening of the motorway. From the villa you can walk to the beach and rolling dunes in less than five minutes. There you can take a camel ride along the vast stretch of sand. It sounds tacky but it's not; it's a great way to reach the south end where there is a great sense of space and isolation.

There you'll find the ruined fort, Bordj El Berod, said to have been the inspiration for Jimi Hendrix's "Castles made of Sand". Hendrix spent much time in Essaouira, so references to him crop up all over town. The fort provides an excellent viewing spot for the offshore Iles Purpuraires, home to a disused jail, several forts and a bird sanctuary for Eleonora's falcon. In the late afternoon, wander back to town fish stalls on the port. I adore the fresh crab and sardines.

On my last evening I watched the sunset from the Skala rampart at the port as the fishermen laid out their nets. The town walls melted into crimson, families appeared and promenaded in the cooler air of dusk, and, for the briefest of moments, I seriously considered taking up fishing. That's Morocco's magic.
The fragrance Azagury will be available in Jacques Azagury's Knightsbridge store and in Selfridges in March (jacquesazagury.com)
Compact Facts
Where To Stay: Villa Maroc (00 212 24 47 31 47; villa-maroc.com); Riad Dar Al Sultan (00 212 24 38 67 83; daralsultan.com); Le Tobsil (00 212 24 44 40 52); La Gazelle d'Or (00 212 28 85 20 48; gazelledor.com).
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/africa/long-way-down-a-journey-through-the-atlas-mountains-780334.html?r=RSS
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World Bank report: education progress needed in Maghreb.
By Jamel Arfaoui 11/02/2008

A new World Bank study of education in 14 Middle East and North African countries commends Tunisia for significant progress, but says other countries, including Morocco and Algeria, still adhere to an "outdated method of teaching". A World Bank study issued last week says Arab countries must improve education to combat unemployment and close what it calls the "education gap" with other regions.

Under the title, "The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa", the report called on countries in the Maghreb region to "reform their educational systems so as to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive world, and to benefit from the potentials and capabilities of the already big, and still growing" youth population.

The region "now has one of the largest cohorts of young people in the world, in proportion to its population," the World Bank noted, adding that "As this cohort works its way through the education system, it will generate unprecedented demands for new learning opportunities and even stronger expectations of better results." Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco were among 14 countries evaluated on four issues: access to education, equality, quality and efficiency. Jordan ranked first overall, followed by Kuwait and Tunisia. Algeria placed 8th and Morocco 11th in the World Bank education assessment. According to the report, only Jordan, Tunisia and Lebanon have made significant progress in student-focused teaching, while the other countries, including Morocco and Algeria, continue to adhere to an "outdated method of teaching".

The report also noted that success in achieving the educational goals is not always linked to average income. "The performance of Algeria and Saudi Arabia, which have a relatively high per capita income, was weaker than the performance of Tunisia and Jordan, which have lower per capita income." According to the World Bank, only Tunisia and Jordan integrated systems for evaluating education sector planning and accountability.

Tunisia's strong results came as no surprise to a senior teaching inspector in the Tunisian Ministry of Education. Belgacem Hacen told Magharebia that Tunisia is carrying out ongoing reforms of educational curricula. "We have several evaluations which we conduct on a regular basis both internally and externally before adjusting our programs," Hacen said. The teaching inspector added that as part of its effort to "achieve distinction," Tunisia has established "quality and inspection indicators in order to draw a clear path".
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/02/11/feature-02
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EU project supports disabled in Morocco.
12/02/2008

The EU has allocated more than 52,000 euros for a project designed to support the rights of the disabled in Morocco, Ansa reported on Tuesday (February 12th). Four Moroccan NGOs in Ouarzazate, Tetouan and Rabat will take part in the two-year project. The move is part of the EU's programme to encourage Morocco to move towards ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which the UN adopted in 2006. Morocco and other eleven states have not signed the treaty due to legislative gaps, such as laws regarding the demolition of barriers. The project hopes to raise public and government awareness of people with disabilities and drive the authorities to adopt the convention. Official figures show that in 2004, 25% of families had at least one disabled member in their home.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2008/02/12/newsbrief-04
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More marriage, less divorce attributed to new Moroccan family code.
15/02/2008 By Sarah Touahri

Morocco issued an updated package of family laws in 2004. In a recent justice ministry study, the law is shown to have had significant impact on the country's social development. Four years after its introduction, Morocco's family code has received a positive assessment from the justice ministry. At a conference held Monday (February 11th) in Rabat, Minister of Justice Abdelwahed Radi said the family code has brought with it a number of advances, ensuring that both men and women can enjoy their full rights and dignity.

"It maintains balance in the family," Radi said, "and encourages reconciliation rather than divorce."
According to ministry data, the number of marriages increased by 9% in 2007 compared with 2006, reaching 300,000, whilst the number of divorces decreased: 27,900 cases, giving a slight fall of 1.19%. Divorce by mutual consent, one of the new features to be found in the family law, accounted for nearly 30% of cases in 2007. This kind of divorce indicates the willingness to separate on good terms, which is greatly beneficial to families with children.

Changes made under the code have allowed more women to initiate divorce proceedings. As a result, there were 26,547 applications for divorce by women in 2007, compared with 14,181 lodged by men. According to justice ministry official Ibrahim Lisser, "People have responded well to the introduction of the family law. The measures contained in the text have not been seen as an obstacle. The increased number of marriages proves this." In fact, reconciliation is one of the core ideas of the family code. It affords couples the opportunity to resolve their problems before advancing to talks of divorce. There were 8,512 documented cases of reconciliation in 2007, which represents a 14.45% increase over 2006 figures.

Another possible effect of the law is that more women are marrying without permission from a guardian. In 2007, 62,162 women arranged their own marriages, which was 3.44% more than in 2006. Meanwhile, polygamous marriage agreements made up just 0.29% of the total in 2007.
According to women's associations, one serious problem remains – the marriage of minors. The number of such marriages remains high, constituting 10.03% of all marriages.

The family code increased the marrying age of women from 15 to 18 years, but parents may still secure a waiver from a judge. According to the justice ministry, this is a cultural issue that cannot be stamped out overnight by a new law. Instead, the ministry intends to raise public awareness.

Many other measures have been introduced to complement the reforms: family courts have been created, judges have received additional training, and civil registry procedures have been modernised. Radi said the efforts to modernise family matters will continue. "This assessment proves in a tangible way what great efforts have been put into family law," he said. "There is a need to improve working conditions in the family justice departments," the minister continued, "in order to promote a higher quality of service, to modernise, and to restore confidence in the justice system."
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/02/15/feature-01
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Women in Moroccan Parliament seek to change public image.
By Sarah Touahri – 13/02/2008

The last elections in Morocco swept 34 women from six political parties into Parliament. The new legislators now plan to work together, regardless of party differences, to advance women's issues and prove they can perform as well as the male MPs. National elections last October in Morocco brought 34 women to the first chamber of Parliament, but while the female MPs have proven effective legislators, their task has not been easy. Along with their work responsibilities, they must battle stereotypes which consider women to be weak politicians.

"Although it is still low, the number of women elected could still be quite a force to be reckoned with. What matters is discourse, the quality of their contributions to the debating chamber and their ability to convince," says Fatiha Lyadi, the only independent candidate elected last fall. She is now Information Director at the Ministry of Communications. Bassima Hakkaoui, an MP for the Justice and Development Party, agreed it is time to destroy the negative clichés. "Women are just as competent as men. I think we should judge their performance by their presence in Parliament, their effectiveness and their perseverance," she said. In fact, this new wave of elected women is "young and knowledgeable", and made up of many successful administrators, according to Moustafa Zaari, a journalist for the Arab-language daily Assabah. "This is a good thing for the country," he told Magharebia.

Female politicians recognise they have a long way to go before they can reach their objectives. Since the start of the current legislative year in October 2007, no women have been chosen to chair parliamentary committees. In the previous parliament, by contrast, two women were appointed; one to head the foreign affairs committee and the other to oversee the social sectors committee. In the current Parliament, only one woman has been awarded significant responsibility. That female legislator is Latifa Bennani Smires, who, after securing an appointment to head up the Istiqlal party’s parliamentary group, has effectively demonstrated her political skills. To achieve more, however, she said that women serving in the Moroccan Parliament need to work together.

Political relations professor Mohamed Katiri also feels that women in the legislature would do well to pursue greater co-ordination in order to stamp their presence on the institution. "In the last Parliament, very few women MPs were known through their actions. During this one, women must join ranks to prove what they are capable of doing. This is how women will win the confidence of the voters," he said.

The 34 women MPs come from six political parties belonging both to the majority and opposition. Despite this diversity, they expect to pull together in the "Women in Parliament Forum". The group was set up in 2005 but its powers were limited. Now, however, the more experienced women parliamentarians and the new arrivals hope to identify common objectives to help women and recognise the principles of democracy. The revitalised forum aims to highlight the work of women in parliament, to strengthen their presence and representation in the centres of decision-making, and to use legislative mechanisms to promote women's issues. When it comes to politics and comparisons to male legislators, Hakkaoui said with conviction that women are up to the challenge. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2008/02/13/feature-01
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