Here are the main headlines developed by the national press for this Monday, December 5, 2022
L’Opinion
• As the Finance Bill nears the end of its legislative cycle, the government has raced once morest time to close the file on the tax regime for lawyers. After the agreement of November 15 which was not unanimous among the black robes, the Executive found a second “deal” with the Moroccan Bar Association (ABAM), the content of which was announced on Saturday . A more advantageous agreement for lawyers, to which those of Casablanca did not react. This compromise augurs the beginning of the end of an episode of anger that lasted for weeks, especially as the minister in charge, Abdellatif Ouahbi, is more open to dialogue and determined to open a new page with “his colleagues”, in particular by addressing several subjects that cause discord between the supervisory authorities and professionals.
• The first open heart operation for the benefit of a former ramedist took place, in a private clinic in Casablanca, following the entry into force of the generalization of medical coverage, on December 1, 2022. It is regarding Boukhlik Miloud (56) from the city of Khémisset, who had suffered from a heart condition for a long time and might not bear the costs of this very expensive surgical operation. But following the automatic changeover of ex-Ramedists to Compulsory Health Insurance (AMO), this surgical operation is now covered at 100pc by the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) since it is part of the category of fully covered illnesses.
The morning
• King Mohammed VI chaired Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the Royal Palace in Rabat, the ceremony of presentation of the new green investment program of the OCP group (2023-2027) and signing of the memorandum of understanding between the government and the group OCP relating to this program. This ceremony is part of the proactive orientation promoted by the Sovereign, for several years, in terms of transition to green energies and a low-carbon economy. It comes in the wake of the working meeting chaired by the King on November 22, devoted to the development of renewable energies and new perspectives in this area.
• During a meeting in Rabat with a delegation of French senators led by Michelle Gréaume, Vice-President of the France-Morocco Interparliamentary Friendship Group of the Senate of the French Republic, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka highlighted the main achievements made in the field of water through desalination projects and the construction of small and large dams. It is also a major structuring project for the interconnection of hydraulic basins, treatment and reuse of wastewater, as well as projects initiated in the field of port, road and motorway infrastructure, in particular the New Port of Dakhla Atlantique project. and the Tiznit-Dakhla Expressway, says a press release from the Ministry of Equipment and Water.
The Economist
• The phosphate giant plans to supply all of its industrial facilities with green energy by 2027. All of its electricity will therefore come from wind, solar, hydroelectric and cogeneration sources. The carbon-free energy produced would also be used for the new seawater desalination facilities, both to meet the group’s needs, and to supply drinking water and irrigation to the areas bordering OCP sites. Moreover, before the end of the year, the group will already have commissioned 40 million m3 of desalinated water, which will supply drinking water to the towns of Safi and El Jadida. By investing in the renewable energy – green hydrogen – green ammonia sector, OCP might free itself from its imports of ammonia, of which it is the world’s leading customer.
• “For the next three months, manufacturers anticipate an improvement in activity. However, 28% of companies say they have no visibility as to the future development of production and 31% as regards sales”, specifies Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM) in this survey carried out from November 1 to 30, 2022. with a response rate of 70%. This survey also reports a decline, from one month to another, in activity. Thus, production would have fallen and the rate of utilization of production capacities (TUC) would have been established at 74%. for their part, the order books would have been, for their part, at levels lower than normal in all the branches of activity.
Release
• The President of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE), Abdellatif Bardach, was elected, on 1 December in Cairo, President of the Association of Mediterranean Energy Regulators (MEDREG), for the two coming years. Bardach succeeds Albanian Petrit Ahmeti, MEDREG said in a statement, noting that this event took place during the holding of its 34th General Assembly. The election of Bardach at the head of MEDREG is a recognition of the progress made by our country, under the aegis of King Mohammed VI in the energy field and its leading role in the region in the promotion of renewable energies, underlined MEDREG .
Al Bayane
• The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, highlighted the progress made by Morocco in promoting women’s rights, particularly over the past two decades. Speaking by videoconference at the opening of the 5th edition of the Morocco Today Forum (MTF), placed under the theme “Women, key players in development in Morocco”, Akhannouch noted that since His ascension to the Throne, the King Mohammed VI has continued to make reforms to give women the place they deserve in society. In this regard, the head of government recalled, first of all, the reform of the Family Code in 2004, followed by the reform of the constitution in 2011.
Al Massae
• Outstanding bank credit reached 1,031.9 billion dirhams (MMDH) during the first ten months of 2022, an annual increase of 6.7%, according to Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM). Outstanding bank credit to non-financial agents amounted to 901.5 billion dirhams (+6.3%) and that to financial agents to 130.4 billion dirhams (+9.2%), specifies BAM in its table of “Bank loans-deposits” edge for the month of October 2022. The annual increase of 10.3% to 446.2 billion dirhams in loans to private non-financial companies (NFEs) mainly reflects the 16.8% increase in credit facilities. cash flow and the 3.7% increase in equipment loans. On the other hand, home loans fell by 3.3% to 50.5 billion dirhams.
Al Alam
• Morocco is the largest contributor to the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, said the Agency’s director, Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui. In an interview, published by the Turkish Anadolu Agency, Cherkaoui clarified that the Kingdom’s contribution amounts to 86% of the total contributions of countries to the Agency, stressing that Morocco is the main contributor in the category “contribution countries”, since 2011. He also noted that the institution has carried out, since its creation, projects worth 64 million dollars, spread over social sectors.
Bayane Al Yaoum
• The Finance, Planning and Economic Development Committee in the House of Councilors adopted by a majority, on Saturday evening, the first part of the finance bill (PLF) for the year 2023. This first part received the support of 11 councillors, the rejection of 3 others and 1 abstention. The parliamentary groups and groupings presented several amendments relating mainly to the General Tax Code, in the presence of the Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, Fouzi Lekjaa.
Al Ittihad Al Ichtiraki
• A delegation of French senators hailed in Laâyoune the socio-economic achievements and the momentum of development in the capital of the Moroccan Sahara. This trip made it possible to learn and learn firsthand regarding the dynamics of socio-economic development underway in Laâyoune, underlined the members of the France-Morocco interparliamentary friendship group, at the end of this visit, to the invitation from the House of Councillors. In a statement to the press, Ronan le Gleut of the “Les Républicains” group, said he was “impressed” by the level of socio-economic development and the quality of the infrastructures, as well as their architectural aspects.
Al Ahdath Al Maghribia
• The consolidated turnover (CA) of Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM) reached more than 3.03 billion dirhams (MMDH) for the first nine months of the year, up 2% compared to end of September 2021. In a press release on its activity indicators for the 3rd quarter of 2022, ADM explains this increase mainly by the 7% improvement in turnover linked to operations thanks to the increase in traffic on the motorway network. In the same trend, the social turnover at the end of September amounted to 2.597 billion dirhams, once morest 2.418 billion dirhams at the same period a year earlier.
Assahra Al-Maghribia
• King Mohammed VI “is the pride of Africa for His enlightened vision and His unwavering commitment to the economic development of the continent and its integration into international value chains”, affirmed in Ottawa the president of the Canadian Council for the Africa, Nola Nkianza. In a letter addressed to the Embassy of Morocco in Ottawa, at the end of a business contact meeting organized by the diplomatic representation on the occasion of the visit to Canada of the members of the Morocco-Canada Business Council , Nkianza noted that the Sovereign’s avant-garde vision has fostered “impressive” advances for the Moroccan economy, particularly in the automotive, transport, communication and green technology sectors.
