Here are the main press titles developed this Friday, November 29, 2024
L’Opinion
New measures to reduce drug prices
Already affected by the dizzying rise in the cost of living, the middle class is struggling to obtain certain medications, the prices of which have continued to increase over the last three years, without forgetting their scarcity in pharmacies. To deal with this situation and guarantee the availability of medicines at affordable prices, the Ministry of Health is preparing to reduce the prices of 169 medicines, particularly those used against chronic diseases. The authority intends to go further by revising the price-setting scales, including production margins and profit margins allocated to distributors and pharmacists, without forgetting the promotion of generics.
Solid waste management: strategic funding of $250 million for Morocco
Thanks to the support of the World Bank, Morocco is taking a new step in the modernization and sustainability of solid waste management, thus combining structural reforms and environmental ambitions. In a move intended to transform Morocco’s environmental landscape, the World Bank has approved $250 million in funding to support municipal solid waste management. This support program is part of a national strategy aimed at improving the financial and environmental efficiency of the sector, while catalyzing reforms and innovative investments.
Eco inspirations
Infrastructure: Morocco on all fronts
For more than two decades, Morocco has continued to invest massively in the development of its infrastructure of all categories: roads, highways, airports, ports, high-speed lines, new stations and water, sports and hotel infrastructures. A strategic choice which has enabled the Kingdom to enter a third decade of transformation with the creation of a number of infrastructures which have succeeded in attracting the private sector, which has contributed to the financing of several structuring projects. As a result, the next five years promise to be resolutely focused on the consolidation of infrastructure and equipment, especially as the two major deadlines approach, the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 Football World Cup, all planned in Morocco.
Furniture: Spanish companies promote in Morocco
Faced with the strong demand from Moroccans for Spanish furniture, the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers and Exporters of Spain (ANIEME) has just carried out a three-day trade mission to Morocco, with the aim of promoting the presence of Spanish furniture on the Moroccan market. This trip was attended by leading Spanish companies in the sector. Note that Moroccan imports of Spanish furniture reached 76.3 million euros during the first nine months of 2024.
Integration of the cement tax into the CGI: a change of direction to follow closely in 2025
Cement manufacturers will have to swallow the bitter pill of a tax better regulated and managed by the tax authorities. The adoption at first reading of the 2025 Finance Bill by the House of Representatives marks a major turning point regarding the special tax on cement. It remains to be seen whether this measure of the PLF 2025 will be maintained in the 2nd reading and in the final version. By integrating this tax into the General Tax Code (CGI), the government wishes to rationalize and simplify its management, collection and control. For cement manufacturers and all players in the construction sector, this reform brings significant changes. The path towards greater tax transparency is now set for the cement sector in Morocco.
Béni Mellal- Khénifra: strengthening of controls on the quality of olive oil
Since the start of the olive oil crushing season in the region, ONSSA, through its monitoring service for products of plant origin, has increased its unannounced outings to monitor compliance with standards. of hygiene in force as well as the conformity of the oils put on sale with the legal requirements in force. ONSSA inspectors, supported by agents of the Environmental Police and the Royal Gendarmerie, ensure the validity of the health authorizations granted to olive oil production and packaging units, before proceeding taking samples of oils put on sale in order to examine their compliance with the standards in force.
The morning
Climate change, water stress, food security… why it is urgent to adopt a proactive approach
In Morocco, climate change imposes a double challenge: water stress is intensifying while food security is increasingly threatened, endangering social stability. Speaking on the program “L’Info en Face” on the “Matin TV” channel, Mohamed Jalil, expert in natural disasters, climate change and sustainable development, warns of the alarming interconnection of these issues, while emphasizing the urgency of a prospective and integrated approach to public policies.
Fresh Scottish milk: the profession rules out imports, Morocco highly ensures its self-sufficiency!
Morocco has no plans to import fresh pasteurized milk from Scotland or elsewhere. In an exclusive statement granted to the newspaper “Le Matin”, the president of the Interprofessional Federation of the sector, Rachid Khatlate, deconstructs the rumors which claimed, a few days ago, that the Kingdom was in negotiations with Scotland to supply the market in fresh pasteurized milk from this country. On the contrary, affirms the boss of the Interprofession, the sector displays a production of 1.2 million liters per day, a level well above local demand.
What positioning for Morocco in the face of the resurgence of protectionist industrial policies?
In a new Report, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development warns of the resurgence of protectionist industrial policies, threatening international cooperation and risking harm to the poorest countries. In this global context marked by increased competition, Morocco positions itself through well-designed industrial strategies, particularly in the automobile and aeronautics sectors, allowing it to strengthen national competitiveness and integration into supply chains. global values.
Al-Ahdath al-Maghribia
Review of the method of setting drug prices
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tehraoui, affirmed that the criteria which determine the prices of medicines will be revised, by reconsidering the manufacturer price and the profit margins of wholesalers and pharmacists. The minister stressed that his department is taking steps to reduce drug prices by encouraging local manufacturing, particularly of generic drugs, noting that 4,500 types of drugs have benefited from a significant tax exemption this year. This exemption has had a positive impact on several vital medicines, he adds, noting that a new decision will be taken to reduce the price of 169 medicines, including those treating chronic diseases.
Al Massae
“Blocking” of the “Safe autocar” program
Road bus owners in Morocco have denounced the “trampling” of the “Safe autocar” program, to which transport professionals have expressed their desire to join, within the framework of a partnership agreement with the supervisory ministry, due to the lack of “safety mix” equipment, essential to ensuring compliance with the required safety standards. The National Road Transport Federation in Morocco called on the Minister of Transport and Logistics to intervene to propose alternative solutions to the problem of the absence of the “safety mix” for coaches on the Moroccan market. The Federation has indicated that if the problem persists given that the year is coming to an end, the renewal program and its budget will never see the light of day.
Alyaoum information
Retirees count on the second chamber for an increase in pensions
Several organizations of retirees from the public and private sectors have stressed the need to discuss the finance bill in the Chamber of Advisors in order to strengthen its pension provisions, which have “stagnant for years”. Bouchaib Maâloum, coordinator of the Union of Retirees of Morocco, affirmed in a statement to the newspaper that the PLF 2025 did not include any provision concerning the increase in the pensions of Moroccan retirees, stressing that “this category has been ignored”.
