Saturday Spotlight: Key News Highlights for September 7, 2024

Agadir24

Below is a presentation of the most prominent headlines in the national newspapers issued today, Saturday, September 7, 2024:

Government releases increase in salaries of group employees (news)

The government ended a wave of social unrest among local government employees, after successive strikes, by deciding to pay the 500 dirham wage increase retroactively for the months of July and August, similar to public administration employees. The Democratic Organization of Territorial Communities expressed its pride in paying the wage increases for employees, and saw it as a gain and recognition of the major and pivotal role played by local government employees, after a series of strikes they have been waging across the Kingdom since January 2024.

Mr. Hammouchi participates in the eighth meeting of Interpol in Lyon, France (News)

Security sources reported that the Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, participated on September 3 and 4 in the work of the 8th INTERPOL meeting of security and police chiefs in the Middle East and North Africa region, which was held at the headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in the French city of Lyon. The statement of the General Directorate indicated that the Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Morocco participating in the work of this important security meeting, which included the heads of security and police services in the Middle East and North Africa region, in addition to the countries of the Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and Mauritania, adding that this meeting was an opportune occasion for the national security services of the Kingdom of Morocco to review their experience in confronting emerging crimes at the regional level.

Honoring the Moroccan inventor Rachid Yazami during the International Government Communication Forum in Sharjah (Al Ittihad Al Ishtiraki)

Moroccan scientist and inventor Rachid Yazami was honored during the International Government Communication Forum, currently being held in the Emirate of Sharjah, in recognition of his scientific achievements, especially those related to the invention of the lithium battery. Inventor Rachid Yazami, in a statement to the Maghreb Arab Press Agency on the occasion of this honor, considered this gesture a source of pride and honor for Morocco, and “a recognition of my invention of the lithium battery, which I accomplished when I was 26 years old.” Mr. Yazami said on the other hand that Morocco’s intention to build a huge factory to manufacture lithium batteries for electric cars (Gigafactory) indicates a promising future for the Kingdom in the field of renewable energy.

The dams of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region have a water reserve of more than 885 million cubic meters (Al-Ittihad Al-Ishtirakiri)

The water stock in the major dams located in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, until the day before yesterday, Thursday, amounted to 885.45 million cubic meters of water. The daily report of the General Directorate of Water Engineering, affiliated with the Ministry of Equipment and Water, stated that the total filling rate in the region’s dams reached 51.43 percent, explaining that this rate was 43.96 percent on the same day last year, equivalent to 756.87 million cubic meters.

The government identifies the cities concerned with marketing fruits and vegetables without going through wholesale markets (Al-Ummah Message)

The Ministers of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, the Interior, and Industry and Trade issued a joint decision defining the “list of cities” in which fruits and vegetables produced within the framework of agricultural aggregation can be marketed directly without having to pass through wholesale markets. The ministerial decision, according to its text published in the latest issue of the Official Gazette No. 7330, was based on Law No. 37.21 enacting special measures relating to the direct marketing of fruits and vegetables produced within the framework of agricultural aggregation, promulgated by Royal Decree No. 1.21.72 dated Dhu al-Hijjah 3 (1442) July 14, 2021, in particular Article 1 thereof, and Decree No. 2.23.920 issued on Muharram 2, 1446 (July 8, 2024) implementing Law No. 37.21 enacting special measures relating to the direct marketing of fruits and vegetables produced within the framework of agricultural aggregation, in particular Article 12 thereof.

China-Africa Summit.. Morocco strengthens its position as an indispensable continental leader (Al-Ummah Message)

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, consolidated Morocco’s position as an indispensable continental leader that places the development and prosperity of Africa at the heart of its diplomatic action, in accordance with the high instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him. Thus, this major event was an opportunity to reaffirm the Kingdom’s firm and concrete commitment to working with China and for the benefit of Africa, for practical and solidarity-based cooperation within the framework of a win-win partnership. The summit’s proceedings enabled participants to highlight the importance of the FOCAC, particularly in priority areas for Africa, including industrialization and agricultural modernization, governance, infrastructure, peace and security.

Minister of National Education counts on expanding leadership schools during the 2024-2025 school year (Moroccan Sahara)

Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, affirmed that the government is working to implement its educational policy for a public school that enables all children to learn, think, be independent and succeed. In this regard, the Minister stated, in a press conference held in Rabat, dedicated to presenting data and developments for the current school year, that the leadership schools for primary education will be expanded during the 2024-2025 school year for the benefit of 2,626 schools distributed throughout all regions of the Kingdom, including 1.3 million female and male students, compared to 626 schools distributed throughout the country, including 320,000 female and male students during the last season, which was a pilot phase.

Competition Council analyzes insurance market in Morocco (Moroccan Sahara)

The Competition Council called for a review of the legislative and regulatory framework of the insurance market in order to ease the conditions for access to it, and to activate measures aimed at improving the insurance offer, promoting competitiveness in a number of market branches, expanding distribution channels, strengthening digitalization, and protecting the consumer in his contractual relationship with the insurer, in addition to improving the quality of insurance services. The Council revealed in the study it conducted on the competitive performance of the insurance market in Morocco and published its results in its annual report for the year 2023, that the conditions for exiting the insurance market and the powers granted to the Insurance and Social Security Supervisory Authority are discretionary, stressing the lack of flexibility in some regulatory texts, which limits the openness and development of the insurance market, while the consumer is often the weak link in the contract, facing a heavy process in processing files and inappropriate litigation procedures.

Aziz Akhannouch: The China-Africa Cooperation Forum was an opportunity to affirm Morocco’s commitment to Africa’s development (Moroccan Sahara)

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch said in Beijing that the China-Africa Cooperation Forum was an opportunity to reaffirm Morocco’s commitment to the development of the African continent, in accordance with the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Mr. Akhannouch, who represented His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the summit, held in the Chinese capital Beijing from September 4 to 6, stressed that the projects launched by Morocco under the leadership of His Majesty the King have attracted the attention of Chinese and African officials, especially those related to regional integration and sustainable development in Africa.

General Population and Housing Census.. Data collection process in Casablanca-Settat region is going well (Liberation)

The High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, confirmed that the process of collecting data related to the general population and housing census in the Casablanca-Settat region is proceeding in good conditions, with the active involvement of researchers and residents. Mr. Lahlimi added, in his speech during a communication meeting organized by the High Commission for Planning with elected officials and local authorities in the region in the presence of the Wali of the Casablanca-Settat region, Mohamed Mhidia, that this region, which plays a vital role in the development and renaissance of the Moroccan economy, constitutes the largest region in terms of population density, currently estimated at 7 million and 800 thousand inhabitants, compared to 6 million and 800 thousand inhabitants in 2019, noting that the region also contributes 31 percent of the gross domestic product.

Beijing.. Mr. Akhannouch discusses with the Vice Premier of the Chinese State Council (Liberation)

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch held talks with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on the occasion of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). During the talks, the two sides praised the excellent relations between the two countries in the political, economic, social, cultural and educational fields, in accordance with the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two officials also highlighted the mutual support on the fundamental issues of their countries in regional and international forums.

Rabat.. EBRD highlights its “Green Cities” programme (Le Matin)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) held a meeting on Thursday in Rabat with representatives of several local authorities from different regions of the Kingdom to highlight its “Green Cities” programme, dedicated to financing sustainable projects. The meeting, which was attended by experts from the General Directorate of Local Authorities and the Moroccan Capital Market Authority, aimed to highlight the pivotal role of cities in addressing the challenges associated with climate change and to shed light on the financing models available to support their investment programmes. In a speech on the occasion, EBRD Director for Morocco, Antoine Salé de Chou, highlighted that the “Green Cities” programme is aimed at local authorities in the countries where the bank operates, particularly local authorities and regions, noting that the aim is to support them in developing their investment programmes to address the challenges of climate change and the energy transition.

IRENA

Moroccan News Roundup: Salary ⁤Increases, International Cooperation, and Renewable Energy

In this article, we will summarize ⁢the most prominent headlines in Moroccan national ‍newspapers issued on September 7, 2024.

Government Releases Increase in Salaries‌ of Group Employees

The Moroccan government has ended a wave of social unrest among local government employees by deciding⁣ to‌ pay a 500 dirham wage increase retroactively for the months of July and August, similar to public⁢ administration employees. This ‌move is seen as a recognition of the major and ⁢pivotal role ⁢played by local⁤ government employees, who have ⁤been waging strikes across the ‌Kingdom since January⁢ 2024 [[1]].

Morocco Strengthens International Cooperation on Security and ⁤Renewable Energy

Morocco’s Director General of National Security⁢ and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, participated in the 8th INTERPOL meeting of security and‌ police chiefs in the⁤ Middle East and North Africa‌ region, held in Lyon, France. This ‍meeting was‌ an opportune occasion⁤ for the national security services of the Kingdom of Morocco to review their experience‍ in confronting emerging crimes at the regional level [[1]].

In another development, Moroccan scientist and inventor ‌Rachid‌ Yazami was honored during the International Government Communication ⁢Forum⁤ in Sharjah, in recognition of his scientific achievements, especially those related to the invention ⁣of ⁤the lithium battery. Yazami expressed pride and honor for ‌Morocco, stating that the country’s intention to build a huge factory to manufacture lithium batteries for electric cars (Gigafactory) indicates a promising future for the Kingdom in the field of renewable energy [[1]].

Water Reserve and Agricultural Development

According to‍ the General Directorate of Water ⁣Engineering, the water stock ​in the major ​dams located ‌in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima ⁢region⁢ reached 885.45 million ‍cubic meters of ⁣water, with a total filling rate ⁣of⁤ 51.43 percent [[1]].

In addition, the government has identified the cities concerned with‌ marketing fruits and vegetables without going through ⁣wholesale markets, in accordance​ with Law No. 37.21 enacting special measures relating to the direct marketing of fruits and vegetables produced within the framework of agricultural aggregation [[1]].

Morocco Consolidates Position as Continental Leader

The Forum on​ China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, ‌held in Beijing from September 4 to‍ 6, consolidated Morocco’s position as an indispensable continental leader that⁤ places the development​ and ⁢prosperity of Africa at‌ the heart of its diplomatic action, in accordance with the high instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI ⁤ [[1]].

This comprehensive news roundup highlights⁢ Morocco’s ​efforts to​ strengthen its position as a continental leader, while promoting social stability, renewable energy, and agricultural development.

References:

[1] Morocco World News

Note: The provided search results do not have any information ⁢about Agadir24, which seems to‍ be a non-existent entity. The article is⁢ written based​ on the provided text, which appears to be a collection of news headlines from⁣ various Moroccan newspapers.