Occasionally, but few in number, demonstrations, even if they do not mobilize people, are organized here and there in several cities in Morocco, to protest once morest rising prices and the high cost of living, as it is true that many Moroccans, particularly the most vulnerable, are suffering from a difficult situation.
The Moroccan Social Front following having organized demonstrations and sit-ins in several Moroccan cities, in particular on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, is putting it back for December 4 under the slogan ” All once morest high prices, oppression ».
The WSF in its statement calls for a national march to “protest once morest what the Moroccan people are going through in terms of exorbitant prices, systematic repression and overall social oppression“. But it is not only the WSF that other associations or unions have previously called for such movements.
To this end, Hespress FR asked Bouazza Kherrati, President of the Moroccan Federation of Consumer Rights (FMDC), to explain this social malaise to us. ” Morocco has experienced a difficult situation in recent months due largely to exogenous factors. As a result, we suffer the pangs of international economic instability due to inflation “, did he declare.
The president of the FMDC, blames the drought, Dame Covid, the increase in international prices, the conflict in Ukraine, with regard to food products, transport and others, the rise in prices at the pump according to it affects almost all sectors of the country.
Nevertheless Bouazza Kherrati recalls that the offer in Morocco exists, all the products are available ” there are no queues or people forming queues to buy milk or other foodstuffs. On the other hand, we see that the prices are high compared to what they were before, it is noticeable, it affects the purchasing power of the consumer”.
Conversely, “if we take the price of fuel, it soars internationally and instantly also in Morocco. But when there is a drop, it is not felt here. This is where the shoe pinches, for example we will take the freight. The government had announced that this was the main cause of the rise in prices. However, between Morocco and China, a 40-foot container cost 18,000 dollars, today it has been divided by three and is only worth 6,000 dollars and the trend is downward. Unfortunately this was not felt by the Moroccan consumer. And there, we wonder regarding what is happening.
Relevant, he continues, “We accept the rise but the fall is never felt on a national scale. By analyzing, we notice that the market in Morocco is unfortunately in the domain of what I will call an economic “siba”. The latter is due to the existence of many intermediaries who command and who take advantage of the situation. It’s the story of butter, butter money and even the smile of the butter dish”.
Our interlocutor believes that the gopenment remains idly by vis-à-vis these intermediaries and to explain that “the freedom of the market is an excellent concept that we encourage because it allows the consumer to be defended, but when there is honest competition. Unfortunately these intermediaries harm the national economy in the pocket of the consumer and the shopping basket”.
The president of the FMDC does not budge on the subject of intermediaries, affirming that ” this situation that our country is experiencing is certainly due to the international situation but also to intermediaries and when I say intermediary it is with a capital I, it is professionals who profit from it by acting as intermediary in transactions.
Another element raised by Bouazza Kerrati, and one of the observations that have an impact on the crisis felt by consumers, relates to the fixing of prices determined by Casablanca, exercising a monopolistic situation.
“It is illogical that Casablanca has the monopoly for determining prices in the Kingdom of Tangier in Lagouira. Everything happens in Casablanca! It’s illogical! We have twelve regions, we need to have twelve economic platforms,” said Dr. Kherati.
“It is this decentralization that we recommend to the government. The Executive must work in this direction and avoid the monopoly of Casablanca. The law on freedom of prices and competition is unequivocal, it fights once morest monopolies and we have the monopoly of a city on the whole of the national territory. It is not normal ! he concluded.
