Here are the main headlines developed by the national press for this Tuesday, October 1, 2024
The Economist
Wastewater: more than 100 million m3 by 2027
The Ministry of the Interior wants to accelerate the rate of mobilization of unconventional water. This concerns in particular the generalization of the use of wastewater. The objective is to reach a volume of 100 million m3 by 2027 and 537 million m3 of treated wastewater by 2050. These resources could also be intended for agricultural use. Several countries have already used this technique.
Payment deadlines: data to the rescue of suppliers
What if it were possible to determine in advance the behavior of customers regarding payment terms before concluding commercial transactions with them? This is the objective of the Infotrade platform developed by Inforisk and allowing companies to obtain data concerning the payment deadlines of their Moroccan customers. This same data which is then processed and consolidated as part of its study on payment deadlines which will then be provided to the Observatory on payment deadlines via the Inforisk/CGEM partnership. Failure to meet payment deadlines between supplier and customer remains a nightmare for creditor companies, for which it constitutes the main factor of failure.
Why Moody’s Rating maintains Morocco’s rating
MOODY’S Ratings (Moody’s) confirms Morocco’s rating of Ba 1. The rating is assigned to the Kingdom for its long-term and senior unsecured debt obligations. Overall, the outlook remains stable. For the Moody’s team, the stable outlook reflects many expectations. The Moroccan government will need to pursue economic and social reforms to improve the economy’s resilience to shocks while keeping the debt burden stable.
Eco inspirations
The lawyers return to battle
The standoff between the Moroccan Bar Association (ABAM) and the CNSS, over the membership of lawyers in the AMO, is starting again. Thousands of lawyers received a notification in the middle of last week informing them of their membership in the health insurance plan, as required by law. It was enough for the office of the Moroccan Bar Association to trigger a crisis plan. He immediately requested a meeting with the CNSS, at the end of which he informed the base that nothing had changed. It is enough, he said in his message, to send a protest to the CNSS to be removed from the AMO policyholder base. It is not as simple as that, because the CNSS, in its capacity as health insurance manager, only applies the law on social coverage for the self-employed.
Foreign trade: Exports to Spain soar
Trade between Morocco and Spain has never been so prosperous, particularly on the Iberian Peninsula. Indeed, the latest statistics indicate that imports from Morocco in July increased sharply. Spain would have increased its spending on imports by 16% in July compared to the same month of last year, for a purchasing volume which rose to 36.483 million euros, according to published data by the Ministry of Economy and Trade. However, the increase in expenditure on imports from Morocco by Spain is largely explained by the price of oil, imports of which are estimated at 506 million euros in July, an increase of almost 48 % compared to the previous year.
Condominium management: what if the future rested on artificial intelligence?
Between inefficiency and administrative burden, the management of co-ownerships in Morocco is struggling to modernize. However, in the age of the digital revolution, innovative solutions could change the situation. Dalila Ennaciri, president of the Moroccan Co-ownership Association (AMCOP), believes that the digital transformation of the sector is more necessary than ever. For her, the adoption of digital platforms would allow trustees to more easily manage claims, monitor budgets and organize general meetings with greater fluidity.
The morning
International road transport of dangerous materials: certification of Moroccan drivers blocked
Moroccan operators of international road transport of dangerous materials have one foot in the grave. The cause is a blockage in the certification process for their drivers. Indeed, France has reportedly ordered its approved certification bodies to no longer provide certification training in Morocco. A decision by the French Department of Ecological Transition which would have considered that the Kingdom should have its own certifying bodies since it has been a signatory, since 2003, to international agreements on the land and maritime transport of dangerous materials. Moroccan drivers whose certificate has expired are no longer allowed to travel on European territory. A situation which causes international transport companies to lose markets.
Al-Ahdath al-Maghribia
A new strike paralyzes the courts
At a time when the Ministry of Justice has opted for the reactivation of the decision to make deductions from the salaries of strikers, particularly clerks, the unions have announced their intention to organize a walkout, with demonstrations held on Monday September 30, in all courts, judicial centers, sub-directors and archiving centers in the Kingdom, in addition to the organization of two 72-hour national strikes, on October 1, 2 and 3, then on October 8, 9 and 10, in protest against this measure, and to demand settlement of the clerks’ demands.
Assaba
The World Bank warns of the threat of climate change
The World Bank (WB) has revealed several dangers threatening coastal areas in Morocco due to climate change, noting that the Kingdom represents a hotspot with temperatures increasing by 0.2 degrees Clesius over each decade since 1960, which represents the double the world average. The financial institution underlined, in its report entitled “Impact of climate change on the blue economy in Morocco: employment prospects in coastal tourism”, that climate change threatens the blue economy, with the rise in the level of the sea and changes in temperatures and rainfall regime, which impacts sectors based on marine and coastal resources, warning that 42% of the Moroccan coastline is prey to the dangers of erosion and flooding.
L’Opinion
School 2.0 to enhance the skills of the educational body
Today, school 2.0 is taking on a new dimension in the Moroccan educational landscape. At the recent National Teachers’ Forum, held in Rabat on September 26 and 27, more than 3,000 participants agreed on the importance of further integrating digital technologies into education. To bring this vision to life, practical training has been put in place to enable teaching staff to consolidate their skills and thus take a decisive step in the transformation of the national education system.
Nearly 12 million tourists registered at the end of August
The Studies Directorate of the Ministry of Economy and Finance indicated that the Kingdom welcomed 11.9 million tourists at the end of August 2024, an increase of 16% compared to the same period of the previous year. The ministry said this performance is attributed to a 6% increase in the first months of the third quarter, as well as an increase of 13% in the second quarter and 2.9% in the first.
