Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
May 22 2004

New batch of Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco
Exporting Moroccan Textiles to the United States
U.S. bank adds Moroccan dirham
Morocco's reform of customs, a model for all public services, WB
Morocco Gets Fresh Loans from JBIC and the World Bank to Improve Education and Alleviate Poverty in Rural Areas.
Waste on the Rise in Morocco
Morocco's living cost indicator rises.
Marrakesh to Host 39th Popular Arts Festival July 3-10
International human rights conventions.
First international horse festival opens in Meknes-Tafilalet region.
Africa voted for Morocco
New Coin Features the Moroccan King's Portrait
Early Indicators of Growth in Tourism Demand in Morocco
Donations for Al Hoceima quake victims exceeded US$ 24 million
Lafarge Cement Plant in Morocco Goes Green.
Morocco's Export Competitiveness.
Truth commissions meet in Morocco
UN Morocco Team Promotes Millennium Goals At Women's Motor Rally
Morocco, an example of democracy and Islam reconciliation, Portuguese FM.
Morocco Seeks Foreign Investors to Help Modernize its Companies.
Maroc Telecom Releases Higher Results, Will Focus on Internet Access and DSL for Future Growth

New batch of Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco
RABAT, May 21

A new Peace Corps team have just taken up volunteer health and environment activities in rural areas in Morocco, the US embassy here announced. The new volunteers have been officially inaugurated at a ceremony held Thursday in Ouarzazate (southern Morocco) in the presence of US ambassador, Thomas Riley, and local authorities.

The peace corps activities will involve actions geared to improving hygiene and access to drinking water, with the volunteers working in natural parks and reserves to "make these sectors available to environment-friendly tourism and sensitizing local inhabitants to environment issues". The young volunteers have just ended eleven weeks of intensive learning of the locally spoken languages (Arabic, tachelhit and tamazight), cross-cultural communication and technical training. A second team will be deployed next September to help youth create small and medium-sized enterprises.

The peace corps, founded in 1961, first started to work in Morocco in 1963, under a Morocco-US agreement. Since then, a total of 4,200 volunteers have served in the Kingdom in a wide array of activities, including education, vocational training and other social fields. © MAP 2004 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Exporting Moroccan Textiles to the United States

As Morocco and the United States are finalizing their talks on a free-trade agreement (FTA), the negotiation process helped the Moroccan textiles and garment industry understand what to expect. As the negotiators gathered data with the help of the various industry groups concerned by the FTA, the Moroccan textile industry discovered that their entry into the U.S. market will not be an easy one, given that competing suppliers have already been active for many years now.

The Moroccans were even surprised to learn that many smaller producers have already established a strong position as a supplier to the U.S. market, some of which are even considered "rogue" nations by the so-called neoconservatives in Washington. Consider the case of Syria. That country has had very difficult diplomatic relations with the United States, yet more shirts come from Syria to the
U.S. market compared to what comes from Morocco. Smaller countries like
Bahrain and Qatar have a much better understanding of the U.S. market than anyone in North Africa. In 2003, the first one exported $165 million worth of pants and the other generated $90 million in the same market, according to the U. S. commerce department. Morocco exported $76 million, according to the same source.

While a comparison with exporters from Bangladesh and Pakistan remains futile, Moroccan textile exporters have now agreed on a target figure of $250 million to bring from the United States.
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U.S. bank adds Moroccan dirham
WASHINGTON, May 21

The Moroccan dirham is the latest currency to join the U.S. Export-Import Bank's foreign currency guarantee program, the bank announced. Under the program, the bank will consider guaranteeing commercial bank loans denominated in certain foreign currencies to support foreign purchases of U.S. goods and services. Other currencies approved for the program in recent months are the CFA franc (used in 14 African countries), Russian ruble, Brazilian real, Philippine peso, Mexican peso, Colombian peso, and South African rand.

The program allows foreign buyers of U.S. goods and services to borrow in their own currencies, although transactions must offer reasonable assurance of repayment. The Ex-Im Bank this year marks its 70th year of financing the sale of U.S. exports, primarily to emerging international markets, by providing loan guarantees, export credit insurance, and direct loans. Last year the bank -- an independent federal agency - authorized $14.3 billion in U.S. exports worldwide. © MAP 2004 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco's reform of customs, a model for all public services, WB
RABAT, May 18

The reform of Morocco's administration of customs and duties (ADII) is a model that should not be ignored by the rest of public services.
It shows that serious efforts aimed at improving services can give excellent results, the World Bank said. The WB, which recently released a complementary note to its report on ADII's reforms, underlines that the administration's modernization initiatives, which have yielded their fruits, provide lessons that should be retained by other administrations wishing to improve their services.

During recent years, the Moroccan customs administration launched deep reforms whose success is more and more recognized by Moroccan civil society and business circles in particular. Such progress has also been noticed from outside, goes the note, titled "Morocco's customs reforms." ADII services have successfully attained their main objectives, especially in facilitating trade and mobilizing receipts, the WB goes, underlining that both customs operators and businessmen seem to appreciate the new reforms. The World Bank explains the success by the involvement of the staff and the smart use of new information technologies to better serve operators.

The World Bank had issued last December a report titled "Customs, pragmatism and efficiency- Philosophy of a successful reform," where it deems that ADII's latest evolution have made it a "modern and one of the world's most efficient customs administrations, especially as regards clearing time." © MAP 2004 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco Gets Fresh Loans from JBIC and the World Bank to Improve Education and Alleviate Poverty in Rural Areas.

Japan and the World Bank granted Morocco new loans. The first originated from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation or JBIC, with almost DH 750 million to support the construction of educational institutions in rural areas. The project to be funded by the JBIC loan calls for the construction of 101 schools in 100 rural municipalities. The schools will be affiliated to five poorly resourced regional academies. This loan carries a 0.9% annual interest rate, with a six year grace period. he World Bank also announced a new loan to Morocco valued at $41 million, also targeting rural development. The money will help establish commercial activities in the provinces of Boulemane, Khemisset, Khouribga, Sidi Kacem, Taroudant, Tata and Errachidia, with focus on job creation, social stability, and poverty alleviation.  The project will be implemented over the next six years.
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Waste on the Rise in Morocco

With the growth of economic activity, comes the growth of waste in all forms. In Morocco, the amount of waste generated each averages 7.5 million tons and it's growing. Households are the biggest contributors to waste production, with their share estimated at 6.5 million tons. Industrial waste is relatively small with just 950,000 tons and medical waste is even smaller at 11,910 tons. Per capita production of waste is 0.75 kilos per day.  While more than 70% of Morocco's waste comes from urban areas, only a maximum of 10% of waste can be recycled. They are paper and plastic-based products.
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Morocco's living cost indicator rises.

Morocco's living cost indicator increased by 0.1% during March 2004 compared to the previous month, Moroccan official sources said. According to MAP, the increase was due to both food products (+0.2%) and non-food products (+0.1%). The indicator for the first quarter of 2004 rose by 2.1% compared to the same period last year.
http://www.albawaba.com/headlines/TheNews.php3?action=story&sid=277229&lang=e&dir=news
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Marrakesh to Host 39th Popular Arts Festival July 3-10
MARRAKESH, May 15

The 39th Festival of Popular Arts will be held in the southern city of Marrakesh this July 3-10 under the title "Eternal Rhythms". The event will feature important novelties of regional as well as international aspects, organizers said. Moroccan, Egyptian, Chinese, Cote d'Ivoire, Brazilian, Dutch and Senegalese participants will be participating in the different shows which will be held in historic sites, mainly the Menara, El Mamounia esplanade and the Jamaa Lefna Place. The festival will also feature plastic arts and handicraft exhibitions, a colloquy on popular arts and a show of Moroccan Caftans (traditional dresses). © MAP 2004 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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International human rights conventions.
Politics, 5/21/2004

Moroccan Human Rights Minster, Mohamed Aujjar, announce Wednesday that Morocco intends in the upcoming weeks to remove its reservations on six international human rights conventions. The minister, speaking during the House of Representatives' question-time, explained that the reservations were made about two treaties on political and civic rights, and economic social and cultural rights. Morocco, he added, will also withdraw reservations on conventions related to the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, children's rights, the elimination of discrimination against women and the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. According to the minister, a technical commission is currently examining the legal arguments and possibilities existing under the Islamic jurisprudence with a view to removing these reservations that "should not be in contradiction with the teachings of our religion and foundations of our constitution."
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First international horse festival opens in Meknes-Tafilalet region.
Local, 5/17/2004

The first international horse festival opened in Rissani Thursday with an equestrian journey that will take 26 horsemen, including 13 foreigners, to several Moroccan provinces before winding up in the imperial city of Meknes. Participants will go through Rissani, Merzouga, Ajdir, Ifrane, El Hajeb and Moulay Idriss, before ending in Meknes, that will host the second part of festivities. Thirty-two Arab-Berber horses were brought for the event that will wind up May 24.
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Africa voted for Morocco

All four African members of Fifa's executive committee voted for losers Morocco in the 2010 World Cup hosts, Fifa sources said. South Africa won Saturday's vote by a clear majority of the 24-man committee of world football's governing body by 14-10 in the first round ballot. But the four Caf members cast their ballots for Morocco. This included South African-born Ismail Bhamjee, who now hails from neighbouring Botswana. The three other African members of the Fifa executive committee are Caf boss Issa Hayatou from Cameroon, Mamadou Diakite of Mali and the Tunisian Slim Aloulou. Morocco also received four votes from Europe and two from Asia, the sources said. South Africa's 14 votes were drawn from South America, Oceania and CONCACAF - the grouping of central, north American and Caribbean countries. They also received half of the votes from Europe's eight members and two from Asia.

Given Botswana's geographical location Bhamjee was expected to vote for neighboring South Africa despite having been snubbed by the country in the Caf elections earlier this year. Bhamjee had initially been supported by South Africa in his bid to win the presidency of the African confederation at their congress in Tunisia in January. But in the end he received just four votes in a humiliating defeat to incumbent Hayatou and afterwards accused South Africa of "stabbing me in the back". Fifa do not officially release the breakdown of the voting by the 24 executive committee members.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/3717419.stm
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New Coin Features the Moroccan King's Portrait

King Mohamed VI will have his own coin. The currency authorities have revealed two new coins, one of which will carry on one side the portrait of the current Moroccan monarch. On the side, the coin will have the national seal with the inscription of 1423-2002. The coin will have the value of DH 10. The second coin of five centimes (five cents), will feature an orange flower, a drop of water and the years 1423-2002, in addition of the state seal.
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Early Indicators of Growth in Tourism Demand in Morocco

If the beginning of 2004 can be used as an indicator of trends, then the results of tourism activity in January and February are encouraging.
Official figures show an 11% year-over-year growth in hotel bookings. The growth in number of nights and occupation rates were up 11% and 37%, respectively, boosted by strong growth from French vacationers, who accounted for 38% of tourists visiting Morocco in January and February.
German tourists accounted for 9%, while domestic tourists represented 20% of lodging demand, helping the destinations of Fez and Ouarzazate renew with growth.
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Donations for Al Hoceima quake victims exceeded US$ 24 million
RABAT, May 20

Donations to bank account 101, opened to collect donations for victims of the quake that jolted last February 24 the northeastern region of Al Hoceima, killing over 600 and making scores of injured, totalled 238.408.449,84 Dirhams (over $24 million), governor of Morocco's central bank, Abdellatif Jouahri, said.  "The number of contributors has exceeded one million, though the number, as registered at the collecting network, is of 724,000, for large numbers have been registered collectively." The funds, he said, have not been spent yet and the government will define allocation modalities, mainly in the framework of the emergency plan for Al Hoceima reconstruction.

This amount, Jouahri said, does not include donations promised by some friend countries, and which were not sent to the account. "Bank Al Maghrib did not receive, so far, the aid announced by some countries in the wake of the deadly quake that shook Al Hoceima region," Jouahri said at a press briefing on the situation of the 101 account. The governor, who said he was confident the aid will arrive, said administrative procedures in some countries may explain the delay. Jouahri underlined that the account remains open and continues receiving donations. © MAP 2004 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/home_dep/h_deppar19.htm
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Lafarge Cement Plant in Morocco Goes Green.

Lafarge Maroc plans to go green. The industrial company will install a dozen wind mills to produce some 10 megawatts of electricity to power its Tetouan cement plant. The company is reportedly finalizing the technical and feasibility studies of the project, and is scheduled to install the systems in the second half of 2004.

The cost of the project is estimated at DH 100 million, which will supply about 40% of the company energy needs. The region of Tetouan is said to be optimum in terms of use of wind energy, and the previous project of Koudia Al-Baida, which has been in operation for many years, has provided added incentives for industrial companies to seek alternative energy sources to lower cost and protect the environment.
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Morocco's Export Competitiveness.

The Moroccan department of general economic policy (Direction de la Politique Economique Générale or DPEG) issued a severe opinion on the country's export performance. In a report published in February 2004, the DPEG stated "Moroccan exports have recorded a counter-performance over the past few years, despite a favorable environment characterized by the strengthening of the Euro currency and the establishment of new policies and measures aimed at boosting Morocco's competitiveness." From 1998 to 2003, Morocco's exports recorded a minimum increase, which fell below the growth of the nation's gross domestic product or GDP. DPEG says this "in fact amounted to a decline compared to the performance of exports in the early 1990s, when growth of exports exceeded that of the GDP." DPEG economists say neither the revision of the value of the national currency, the dirham, vis-à-vis a new basket of foreign currencies, nor the process of tariff dismantling of products coming from the EU, in affect since March 2000, have helped boost foreign trade, as policy makers envisaged. Indeed, Morocco's exports, as expressed in U.S. dollars, grew by 1.9% from 1998 to 2002, whereas in comparable emerging markets, growth has been stronger. This is the case of fellow North African country Tunisia, which recorded a 4.3% increase during the same period, Turkey with 6.5%, Malaysia with 6.9%, Mexico with 8.2%, Hungary with 10%, and the giant China with 15.4%.

In the European Union, the primary destination of Moroccan exports, the share of Morocco's exported manufactured products was only 0.2% in 2002, compared to Tunisia's 0.3% and Turkey's 1%, both of which are considered by the Moroccans as their primary competitors. In its most performing sector, clothing and textiles, Morocco's share of the EU market was 2.9% in 2002, while trade rival Tunisia held 3.2% and Turkey controlled a strong 7.8%. There were other strong textiles makers controlling higher shares of the EU market, led by China with 11.5%.

The problem with Moroccan exporters is the lack of diversification in terms of both product offering and destination. Morocco tends to concentrate on only a handful of goods, usually of lower value-add, and tends to focus its marketing efforts in traditional markets, namely the European Union.
The establishment of a free-trade agreement with the United States should not be considered by Moroccan policy makers as an end in itself, but just an opportunity to push domestic industries to take initiatives and be more entrepreneurial and risk takers. Having an open market on paper is by no means a victory, but should be taken as an opportunity to address issues that have so far prevented Morocco to diversify its products and markets.
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Truth commissions meet in Morocco
RABAT, May 18

The Moroccan equity and reconciliation commission (IER), a body set up last January to repair harms sustained by victims of past human rights abuses, will bring together this May 20-22 in Rabat the group of truth commissions experts and heads representing several countries.  Participants, members of truth commissions in African, Asian and Latin American, will share their experience regarding how to organize hearings, how to select people to appear at the hearings and how the testimonies are used in the drafting of the final report.  The Moroccan equity and reconciliation commission, tasked with pursuing out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses, is the first of the kind in the Arab-Islamic world.  The group of experts was set up in December 2002 by the International center of transitional justice. It has already met in Peru, Sierra Leone and Italy.


The IER has received about 20,000 compensation and repair requests. According to its chairman, Driss Benzekri, the body will cover the period extending between Morocco's independence in 1956 till 1999 when the now-defunct independent arbitration commission was set up. Its mandate includes massive and/or serious human rights abuses, investigations and fact-finding missions in order to identify the categories, seriousness and
massive and/or systematic abuses of human rights. © MAP 2004 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/news/politics/pol_1999.htm
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UN Morocco Team Promotes Millennium Goals At Women's Motor Rally
May 19, 2004

Women from UNDP and sister UN agencies braved 2,500 kilometres of desert sun and sand to raise awareness about the Millennium Development Goals at a recent women's international motor rally - the 14th Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles - in Morocco. The UN Gazelles team testing their desert navigation and driving skills comprised Khadija Salaheddine (UNDP), driver; Béatrice Campodonico (UNIFEM), co-driver; Aïcha Yamani (UNFPA) and Hind Benabdenbi (UNICEF), communications officers. "The rally is an empowering event that offers a model for women and girls,"
said Ms. Salaheddine and her teammates. "The United Nations sees sport as a force that brings people together and transcends differences and conflicts.

The UN Gazelles are using this opportunity to advocate for the far too many women and girls who continue to be victims of illiteracy, violence, exploitation and many other abuses." UNICEF Representative Maie Ayoub von Kohl, speaking on behalf of the UN country team at the opening ceremony, said that the rally shows that sport can generate support for development and peace. It brings together competitors from different religions, countries and cultures, she noted, and demonstrates women's empowerment in meeting difficult challenges.
Ms. von Kohl also pointed to the "extraordinary changes" taking place in the country, saying "Morocco has had the courage to break taboos and the walls of silence around issues such as sexual exploitation, violence and abuse affecting women." A new family law establishing equality of women and men is one example of "remarkable progress during the past 18 months," she said.

Two of the Millennium goals for 2015, endorsed by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, relate directly to women: Goal 3 on gender equality calls for countries to eliminate disparities between boys and girls in primary and secondary education by 2005 and at all levels by 2015. Goal 5 sets the target of reducing the rate of maternal deaths in pregnancy and childbirth by three quarters.
Through its "Heart of Gazelles" initiative the rally promoted several civil society organizations helping the disadvantaged ? efforts that contribute to progress towards the Millennium goals. One is ASMED, set up by two Moroccan ex-Gazelles, which mobilized a medical caravan during the rally that brought a dozen Moroccan gynaecologists, ophthalmologists, paediatricians, general practitioners and nurses to isolated communities east of the Atlas mountains.

The initiative also supports BAYTI ("my house"), an organization that helps children living in the streets in four cities, and Solidarité Féminine (Women's Solidarity), which assists single mothers with young children. Media from Arab states, Europe and Asia covered the rally, including television broadcasts on Eurosport, LCI of France, and Morocco's 2M. This offered an opportunity for the UN country team to publicize the Millennium goals through messages about women's advancement, gender equity, peace and development through sport http://allafrica.com/stories/200405190459.html
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Morocco, an example of democracy and Islam reconciliation, Portuguese FM.
Politics, 5/20/2004

Portuguese Foreign Affairs Ministers, Teresa Gouveia, gave Tuesday an example of Morocco as a country capable of reconciling democracy and Islamic values. Opening an international seminar in Lisbon with her Moroccan peer, Mohamed Benaissa, on the "new agenda of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East" Gouveia insisted on the need to put an end to the "myth of incompatibility of Islam and modernity."

She argued that Moslem Andalusia was the origin of important breakthroughs in sciences, technologies and arts in Europe. However, she said, we "should not go back in mind to a thousand years back" to be aware of these advances since there are at present "successful cases of countries that reconciled between the process of reforms and the values and ethics of Islam."

The Portuguese official underscored that democracy was consolidated in Morocco and that, in the social realm, the family law adopted early this year enhanced equity between men and women. For Gouveia, the reform process in the Arab states should focus on the idea of modernization and not westernalization of these countries. On his part, Mohammed Benaissa outlined during the ceremony the "vast program of reforms" undertaken by Morocco to establish a country that is "democratic in governing and modern in economic and social structures."
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Morocco Seeks Foreign Investors to Help Modernize its Companies.
19 May 2004

After calling for a greater involvement of small and mid-size businesses (SMB) in helping modernize the economy, the Moroccan government is now turning to foreign investors and business operators abroad to also make their contribution.  The efforts being made by Morocco is part of an industrial upgrade program aimed at making domestic companies and industries ready to face the competition that is expected to come when Morocco fully removes its trade barriers and deals with the EU, the Unites States and its Arab partners in equal terms.

In addition to its traditional trading partners, Morocco is also looking at new sources of investments. From May 10 to 14, a high level government and business delegation from Morocco visited Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic to court potential investors and convince them they can do business in Morocco. Among the industries represented in the Moroccan delegation were the most critical sectors of the economy, namely the food business and the banking sector.

In the past month, the government has intensified its campaign of awareness using the Internet and its various websites to propagate information. This effort has been led by an organization called the Comité National de Mise à Niveau or national committee for industrial upgrade.

The organization's own website has reportedly logged an average of 214 unique visitors per day from its launch on January 12 to March 7. Another organization involved in this effort is the SMB Federation, which has reported receiving 300 requests for information since the launch of the program in the beginning of the year. These requests originated from various regions in Morocco proper.

The state national agency for SMBs has also been busy responding to record numbers of inquiries. The number of phone calls directly linked to the ad and awareness campaign launched by the government rose by 110%, while direct visits from potential investors grew by 25%.

But attracting foreign investors from Eastern Europe will certainly be more difficult than launching a campaign to communicate with domestic companies or luring Western European firms. This is because Eastern Europe itself needs capital to put its economies on par for that of Western Europe. The countries that have recently joined the EU with the recent enlargement initiative will not be the major source of foreign money Morocco is looking for.
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Maroc Telecom Releases Higher Results, Will Focus on Internet Access and DSL for Future Growth

Maroc Telecom (MT) continues to produce positive performances. Its revenue for fiscal year 2003 reached DH 15.2 billion, a 3.4% increase from the previous fiscal year. The company's sales are so large in Moroccan standards that it represents the equivalent of 3.5% of the Kingdom's gross domestic product, and indeed, Maroc Telecom is the biggest single contributor to the country's treasury. With these latest results, the Moroccan treasury will get its share from the telecom firm with DH 6.2 billion, in which DH 1.8 billion will represent dividend payment for the state's stake in the firm.

In a press conference held in Rabat to release MT's financial results, Chairman of the Board Abdeslam Ahizoune, reported that his company's net profit was up 8.5% in 2003 to DH 4 billion, and as of now, the company has a surplus of nearly DH 6.2 billion. This money will be used "to invest in productive and profitable projects, which will not represent a risk to the company," according to Ahizoune.
Although details of these "productive investments" were not released, officials say the company is ready to launch a public offering by entering the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE). It is now up to the minister of finance and privatization to work on the time table.

MT's ability to generate better results is largely due to its efforts to implement a solid cost containment policy in a period of growth. On the other hand, the company has been able to stimulate demand by continuously lowering its prices. The goal set by the company's managers has been to help domestic companies to become more competitive by leveraging the telecommunications tools made available to them, whether they were mobile, fixed, international, internet, or whether they were voice or data. Each year the company invests an average of DH 2.3 billion on equipment and infrastructure alone. Strong Mobile Phone Market, Sluggish Fixed Telephony:
One of the most important core businesses that have been driving strong stream of revenue, has been the mobile phone market. There were five million mobile phone lines in Morocco as of December 2003 and MT controlled an estimated 68% of that subscriber base. The firm has established a strong roaming position since it has been able to enter into roaming agreements with 311 operators in 178 countries.

While the mobile phone market has been a boon and a source of great potential, the fixed telephony market is source of worries. The numbers of subscribers to fixed lines have only grown marginally, from 1.12 million in 2002 to just about
1.2 million in 2003. And because of this sluggish performance, the company's management pledged that it will pay special attention to that market going forward and will look for ways to stimulate demand. Rapid Growth of Internet Business and Good Prospects in Call Centers:

Company officials are also bullish when it comes to the Internet market.
They now consider it their primary strategic target for 2004 and 2005 because growth has been phenomenal and exceeded the performance of other core businesses, while remaining largely in its infancy. As of December 2003, MT had 47,000 subscribers to its Internet services. Although this is a rather tiny base, it grew 38% from 2002, creating a strong momentum among the company's managers and planners. The company's Internet strategy is to focus offerings on high-speed access through DSL, which would offer customers unlimited access to the Internet for a low cost. MT launched its first DSL service in December 2003, when 3,500 accounts were opened in the
59 cities where the service was available. MT sources say their company won 10,000 new DSL subscribers in less than 10 days, from March 11 to March 20, 2004, highlighting the expected strong growth in that segment of the Internet access market.

In addition to end-users and the business sector, MT signed an agreement with the Moroccan education ministry to provide high-speed Internet access to all the nation's schools. Educational institutions will receive a 20% reduction in tariffs and prices. But MT does not want to stop there and has bigger ambitions, in particular in strengthening its call center business. The company has streamlined its offerings and reduced its prices by 25%. Call centers are considered good generators of jobs. There are 39 of them in Morocco, employing 4,180 workers, which will almost double this year with the opening of new call centers. Maroc Telecom's own call centers employ 700 people.
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