The most prominent headlines of Moroccan newspapers issued today, Saturday, August 17, 2024

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Below is a review of the most prominent headlines in the national newspapers issued today, Saturday, August 17, 2024:

The Ministry of Interior assigns the judicial representative to follow up on the files presented in the courts (Al-Akhbar)

The Ministry of Interior has observed an unprecedented increase in judicial rulings issued against local authorities. A report by the ministry indicated that the judicial representative of local authorities intervened in more than 100 judicial files of great importance in view of the financial amounts claimed, or the nature of some cases in terms of the effects that could result from them. The report thus recorded a significant increase of more than 150 percent compared to the previous year, during which the files handled by the judicial representative did not exceed 40 files. The report confirmed that the intervention of the judicial representative of local authorities in some cases was decisive, as he worked to remove a group of files from deliberation, which could have resulted in rulings that were not in favor of the local authorities concerned.

Monkey Roots.. Ait Taleb holds a meeting with the Scientific Committee to study the epidemiological situation (Al-Akhbar)

As part of the proactive measures and ongoing efforts made by the Kingdom of Morocco in implementation of the high royal directives, to monitor and evaluate the epidemiological situation of the outbreak of monkeypox (M. pox), the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, chaired a meeting with the specialized scientific committee, devoted to studying epidemiological developments at the national and international levels. A statement issued by the ministry explained that during this meeting, the effectiveness of the epidemiological vigilance and monitoring system adopted in the Kingdom was reviewed and evaluated, which has proven its effectiveness in early detection of imported cases and ensuring immediate and effective intervention. The minister also stressed the need to continue strengthening this system, in line with the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization.

The Democratic Labor Organization records the “weakness” of preventive measures to protect workers from the dangers of heat stress (Moroccan Sahara)

The Democratic Labor Organization has noted with great concern the “weakness” of preventive and precautionary measures and means to protect workers from the dangers of heat stress, and to ensure a “safe and healthy work environment in a number of companies, contractors, agricultural nurseries and large construction sites.” In this regard, the organization called on the Ministry of Economic Integration, Small Business, Employment and Skills to “take urgent measures to protect workers from the dangers of heat stress before a disaster occurs,” according to Ali Lotfi of the organization’s executive office. Lotfi stated that large groups of workers in Morocco suffer from the dangers of heat stress, which he described as the “silent killer” due to the continued rise in temperatures to record levels, which exposes their lives to many risks, especially those who work in hard jobs and are directly exposed to excessive heat and sunstroke.

Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Morocco and Saudi Arabia to enhance cooperation in the field of health and social protection (Moroccan Sahara)

A memorandum of understanding was signed in Rabat between Morocco and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance joint cooperation in the field of health, social protection, and preparedness for pandemics and health crises. This memorandum, signed by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, and the Saudi Minister of Health, Fahd bin Abdulrahman bin Dahis Al-Jalajel, concerns enhancing health quality and patient safety, combating pandemics and epidemics, including their early detection and taking the necessary measures to control them, in addition to public health, preventive medicine, therapeutic medicine, digital health and virtual medicine. The scope of this partnership also includes studying opportunities for cooperation in the field of blood transfusion services in order to provide sufficient and safe blood in both countries.

Speculators inflame prices (Sabah)

Professionals in the meat, vegetable and fruit sectors hold speculators and “snakes” responsible for the recent record-breaking prices, exceeding 70 percent of their real price, and the failure of the relevant authorities to intervene to punish violators. A reliable source confirmed to the daily that “the responsibility for the boom in speculators lies primarily with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, as it is the guardian of the sector, the Ministry of Interior, which is responsible for monitoring and controlling prices, and the Public Prosecution, which is supposed to punish speculators by initiating prosecutions.” Professionals believe that “snakes” exploit the ambiguity of the products’ path between the producer and the consumer, which leads to an increase in their price in the market, pointing out at the same time that these paths are not monitored, and there are no institutions responsible for tracking them.

Wahbi: I will not resign and I will continue reform (Sabah)

Abdellatif Wahbi, Minister of Justice, insisted on continuing the reforms he initiated in his sector, despite the escalation of protests against him by some professionals, especially lawyers, according to what was confirmed by “Sabah” sources. Sources close to the minister reported that “the large number of protests” will not stop him from continuing his work, as it was rumored within the government majority that he would not resign from his position, and that the Prime Minister and the leaders of the National Rally of Independents parties, the Authenticity and Modernity Tripartite Leadership, and the Secretary-General of Independence, never raised his position in the negotiations for the upcoming government amendment. In light of the legal and constitutional debate between lawyers and the Minister of Justice over the constitutionality of some articles of the draft Civil Procedure Code, the war to refer this draft law to the Constitutional Court also raged between the majority and the opposition.

Al-Bayda authorities temporarily cut off water supply to a number of groups (Al-Masaa)

Casablanca authorities have moved to a new stage in their management of the water crisis that the region is suffering from due to the severe drought that has been hitting Morocco for years. The news website “Alma Dialna”, which specializes in water and is affiliated with the Ministry of Equipment and Water, revealed that the city authorities have taken new measures to confront the water stress that is sweeping the region, which consists of temporarily cutting off the flow of drinking water to a number of areas. In the communities of Ad-Droua and Ouled Abbou, residents were informed by the Independent Agency for the Distribution of Water and Electricity of Chaouia of the decision to cut off their water supply daily from midnight to six in the morning. This measure also included the province of Berrechid and its affiliated communities, as the water supply to this area will be cut off from nine at night until twelve noon.

Two people arrested for kidnapping a Belgian and holding him in an apartment in Marrakech (Al Massae)

The elements of the Judicial Police Service in Marrakech, in coordination with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, were able to arrest two individuals aged 38 and 34, one of whom is a French citizen of Moroccan origin, on suspicion of their involvement in the kidnapping and detention of a Belgian citizen. Initial investigation data indicate that the suspect, who holds French nationality, was involved in inciting the second suspect to kidnap the victim and detain him using violence inside an apartment in Marrakech, before investigations conducted by the security services led to identifying the victim’s location and freeing him, who had signs of bruises and physical violence. According to the investigation data, suspicious commercial transactions may be the main motive for committing these criminal acts, especially since the main suspect is involved in an ongoing case related to forgery, its use, fraud and deception.

Brazilian Senate approves draft decree to facilitate investments with Morocco (Socialist Union)

The Brazilian Senate has approved a draft legislative decree relating to a cooperation and facilitation agreement in the field of investments between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Federative Republic of Brazil. The draft decree, presented by the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee after its approval by the Chamber of Deputies last February, was unanimously approved by the members of the Senate during a plenary session of the Council chaired by Senator Rodrigo Pacheco. The rapporteur of the text, Senator Margaret Bozzetti (Social Democratic Party, Mato Grosso State), who presented a positive report for approval, stressed that the agreement will bring qualitative advantages to the development of the two countries, noting that it is necessary to facilitate investments and strengthen good relations between Brazil and Morocco.

World Green Hydrogen Summit in Marrakech to discuss “Morocco’s offer” next October (Socialist Union)

The fourth edition of the World Power-to-X Summit will be held in Marrakech on October 8-9. The summit will discuss the “Morocco Offer” and the progress made in major ongoing projects, in addition to financing opportunities in the field of green hydrogen and clean molecules. The fourth edition of the World Summit, which will be organized under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies, in partnership with the Green Hydrogen Cluster of Morocco (Cluster Green H2), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, will particularly highlight the “Morocco Offer” in the field of green hydrogen issued by the Head of Government on March 11, 2024.

Chinese electric battery giant BTR establishes a second platform in Morocco (Al-Ummah Message)

BTR New Materials Group announced that the Chinese battery materials manufacturer will invest $363.5 million to build a factory in Morocco to produce anode materials, with Ford Motor expected to sign a supply agreement and pay a $120 million advance. The Shenzhen-based company said in a statement that BTR will set up a company in Morocco to invest in and build the factory, which will have an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons of anode materials. The new factory will be located in the Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City (Tangier Tech) and will take about two years to build and complete.

New: An African delegation learns about the Moroccan experience in the field of advanced regionalization (Al-Ummah Message)

An African delegation, comprising about thirty representatives from 12 African countries, visited the city of El Jadida to learn about the Moroccan experience in the field of decentralization and advanced regionalization. This visit is part of a training program supported by the General Directorate of Territorial Communities of the Ministry of the Interior, for the benefit of employees and executives of African territorial communities. In this context, Najat Zarrouk, Director of the African Academy of Territorial Communities of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, stated to the press that “this visit aims to inform the beneficiaries about the system related to decentralization and advanced regionalization in Morocco, in addition to the Kingdom’s experience in organizing major cultural events.”

Morocco-Hungary.. Signing of a partnership agreement in the field of archives (Le Matin)

Morocco and Hungary signed a partnership agreement in the field of archives on the occasion of a working visit by the Director of the Royal Archives, Bahija Simo, to Budapest. A statement from the Kingdom’s diplomatic representation in Hungary said that “during this visit, a partnership agreement was signed between Bahija Simo and Csaba Szabó, Director General of the Hungarian National Archives.” The Moroccan embassy in Budapest added that the agreement aims to strengthen archival holdings and promote the exchange and sharing of skills between the two institutions in the fields of archiving and digitization and the organization of joint conferences and exhibitions, noting that the Austrian National Archives will also participate in this cooperation program.

His Majesty the King congratulates the President of the Republic of India on the occasion of her country’s National Day (Liberation)

His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory message to Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India, on the occasion of her country’s National Day. In this message, His Majesty the King, on his own behalf and on behalf of the Moroccan people, expressed his warmest congratulations to Mrs. Droupadi Murmu, and his sincere wishes for continued progress and prosperity to the Indian people. His Majesty the King’s message included: “On the same occasion, I would like to express to you my deep appreciation for the distinguished relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of India, based on strong friendship and mutual esteem, assuring you of my constant keenness to work together with you to consolidate our joint work and raise our close cooperation to the level of the aspirations of our two friendly peoples.”