The owners of nightclubs, restaurants and cafes serving shisha in Marrakech are worried. Faced with control campaigns which have a strong impact on their activity, they appealed for help to the wali of the Marrakech-Safi region, Farid Chourak. In a letter, they demand “urgent solutions” and a meeting to discuss the situation and find solutions.
For professionals, the stakes are high. They claim that shisha is a “fundamental pillar” of the Marrakech economy. According to them, this sector employs more than 5,000 people and contributes significantly to the city’s tax revenue. They believe that the control campaigns are putting many establishments at risk, thus threatening thousands of jobs.
To read: Marrakech is on the hunt for shisha cafes
Rather than a ban, the owners of these establishments are pleading for regularization of the activity. They say they are ready to collaborate with the authorities to guarantee compliance with the laws and standards in force. They deplore that control campaigns only highlight the negative aspect of shisha, without taking into account its role in the economy of the “ochre city”.
-The union of professionals in the entertainment sector of Marrakech is also requesting an emergency meeting with the wali. The objective? Discuss the problems encountered and find a “consensual” solution to organize this activity, while respecting safety and health conditions and the laws in force.
Professionals point to a “legal vacuum” surrounding the shisha activity in Marrakech. This legal vagueness weakens them in the face of control campaigns. They are calling for intervention from the authorities to define a clear legal framework and thus guarantee the stability of the sector.
Morocco
