Here are the main headlines developed by the national press for this Friday, November 8, 2024
L’Opinion
• The first figures from the 7th population and housing census, which took place from September 1 to 30, have been revealed. It appears that the legal population of Morocco is now 36,828,330 inhabitants as of September 1, 2024, including 7,688,967 in the Casablanca-Settat region, followed by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra with 5,132,639 inhabitants and Marrakech Safi with 4,892. .393 inhabitants. That said, Morocco’s population increased by 8.8%, or 2,980,088 more inhabitants than during the 2014 census, when Morocco had 33,848,242 inhabitants. According to the preliminary results appearing in the presentation note of draft decree number 2-24-1009, relating to the figures setting the number of the legal population, the total number of households in Morocco is 9,275,038, or 1,961,232 households more than in 2014 (+26.82%). In addition, Morocco has 148,000 foreigners on its territory.
• Six years after the Kigali Summit, where almost all members of the African Union signed the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the project is still struggling to materialize. As one of the precursor countries of this initiative, Morocco organized, this November 5 in Casablanca, the “ZLECAf Morocco Forum 2024” with the aim of reflecting on the future of this continental economic integration and preparing for take full advantage of the opportunities it could offer. This forum, organized by the Moroccan Federation of Exporters (ASMEX) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, brought together officials and businessmen from various African countries. Several concrete proposals were made during this event, notably by the president of ASMEX, Hassan Sentissi.
The morning
• The Central Bank intends to further consolidate the implementation of innovative payment methods in Morocco. Thus, a national payments strategy will be put on track from next year. This will establish governance dedicated to the development of the electronic payment ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of these technologies by the various economic players. The objective being to combat the use of cash which remains very high and to strengthen the transparency of transactions.
• On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Green March, the province of Sidi Ifni experienced a historic day marked by the launch of several structuring projects totaling 523 million dirhams of investment. Highlight of this day: the launch of the city’s port rehabilitation project for an investment of 80 million dirhams carried out jointly by the National Ports Agency and the Guelmim-Oued Noun region. This major modernization aims to revitalize this strategic maritime infrastructure which has seen its fishing landings triple in six years, going from 26,713 tonnes in 2018 to 76,145 tonnes in 2022, a record year.
• The World Bank is preparing to approve $250 million in financing for Morocco to support the sustainable management of municipal solid waste. The funded Program aims to strengthen the governance of the sector as well as its financial and environmental performance, in a context where the annual production of municipal solid waste is intensifying, driven by increased urbanization and growing consumption patterns.
Liberation
• The start of work to extend the fishing port of Laâyoune, which is part of the implementation of the 2030 port master plan, was given on Tuesday, for a total amount of 210 million of dirhams (MDH). Launched on the occasion of the celebration of the 49th anniversary of the glorious Green March, this project aims to strengthen the socio-economic development of the region, through increasing the reception capacity of the fishing port and support for the development of coastal and artisanal fishing activities.
Al Bayane
• The French Development Agency (AFD) group will now invest in the Sahara, a link between Morocco and its neighboring countries, announced its general director, Rémy Rioux, who plans to soon visit the southern provinces of the Kingdom. This decision is supported by the “all-Africa” approach that the AFD considers to have in common with Morocco, he added. “We have in common an all-Africa approach to promote regional cooperation,” underlined the CEO of the AFD, who considers Morocco’s influence on the continental scale as a “driving force” to support the transitions at work. in the Continent.
Al Massae
• The decision to ban the slaughter of sheep and cows, recently announced in parliament by the Minister of Agriculture, Ahmed Al Bouari, sparked a series of mixed reactions among red meat professionals. Some of them believe that the success of the process of breeding herds of cattle and sheep is not limited to the ban on the slaughter of females, but also requires other accompanying measures. In a statement to the daily, Jawad Mahal, president of the Federation of Wholesale and Retail Meat Sellers, linked the success of this measure to the need to impose strict and careful control on livestock before and after slaughter , in addition to canceling the changes introduced in terms of meat stamping.
Bayane Al Yaoum
• The Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) welcomed the speech addressed on Wednesday by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the glorious Green March, expressing its full readiness to contribute to the implementation of the High Royal Directions contained in the Speech. In a press release, the CCME indicated that it had followed with great interest the Royal Speech, in which the Sovereign affirmed that the phase that the cause of the territorial integrity of the Kingdom is going through requires the permanent mobilization of all, highly welcoming the Speech of HM the King having praised the patriotism of Moroccans living abroad, as well as their commitment to defending the sacred symbols of the Nation and contributing to the development of their country.
• The PPS stressed that it would continue to monitor this bill within and outside Parliament, based on the political positions and observations it made within the relevant parliamentary committee. The party’s contributions aim to improve this project so that it is compatible with the spirit and text of the Constitution, as well as with international human rights standards. The political office of the Book Party underlined the major importance of holding a dialogue with the unions in order to reach a formulation of this organic law that meets the democratic aspirations and human rights of Morocco and Moroccans. .
Al Ittihad alichtiraki
• The Barid Al-Maghrib Group announces the issue of a commemorative postage stamp, in partnership with the National Museum Foundation, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. This commemorative postage stamp, entitled “10 years – Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art”, highlights the museum square and the emblematic Final Accord sculpture by Arman, representing a broken piano. It joins the philatelic collection dedicated to the visual arts, already including stamps honoring the Giacometti Retrospective (2016), Face à Picasso (2017) and The Colors of Impressionism (2019) exhibitions.
Al Ahdat Al Maghribia
• The Royal speech delivered on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Green March highlighted the progress made and the challenges ahead in the defense of the homeland and the territorial integrity of the Kingdom. Regarding the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, His Majesty King Mohammed VI recalled the role played by the Moroccan diaspora. HM the King announced a new shift in the management of the affairs of the Moroccan community living abroad, namely a large-scale “restructuring” of the system of management of the affairs of the Moroccan community. The Royal instructions came to reform the composition of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) and make it a real force for proposals, then create the Mohammedia Foundation of Moroccans residing abroad with the aim of being the arm operational of public policy in the service of MRE.
Assahra Al-Maghribia
• The investment budget of the departments of Agriculture, maritime fisheries, rural development and water and forests should be set at 17.27 billion dirhams (MMDH) under the Finance bill (PLF). ) of 2025, said Tuesday in Rabat, the Minister of Agriculture, maritime fisheries, rural development and water and forests, Ahmed El Bouari. The investment budget of the Department of Agriculture should increase by 4% to 14.21 billion dirhams in 2025, against 13.62 billion dirhams in 2024, said Mr. El Bouari who presented the ministry’s draft 2025 sectoral budget before the Committee on Productive Sectors in the House of Representatives.
