The most prominent headlines of Moroccan newspapers issued today, Saturday, August 24, 2024

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Below is a presentation of the most prominent headlines in the national newspapers issued today, Saturday, August 24, 2024:

Cooperatives in Taounate are the first to benefit from the legal cultivation of cannabis (Sahara)

Cooperatives specializing in the cultivation of cannabis for legitimate uses in Taounate, a predominantly agricultural province, have seen a remarkable recovery since the creation of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities. The entry into force of Law No. 13-21 on the legitimate uses of cannabis has opened the way for the legitimate exploitation of cannabis in this province, which includes many farmers who used to cultivate this plant illegally. Today, in light of the legalization of the production and marketing of cannabis, farmers have become more enthusiastic about the idea of ​​working within cooperatives through licenses issued by the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities and the National Office for Food Safety.

The battle to discuss the strike law intensifies and the Moroccan Labor Union considers it a “restrictive” project for employees (Sahara)

In preparation for the political and social intervention, the trade union centers have tightened their tone and criticism of the contents of the draft organic law No. 97.15 regarding the definition of the conditions and methods for exercising the right to strike. The first response came from the central center of the Moroccan Labor Union, which submitted a memorandum to the members of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council on Thursday, listing what it called the most prominent negatives of the law restricting the strike. The Economic Council organized a workshop on Thursday, based on a request for an advisory opinion from the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the draft organic law on the strike. The Union stressed in a letter to the President of the Economic Council, that the Social Dialogue Institution is the natural place to study this vital and important file for the working class, the trade union movement, the world of work, and the human rights system in our country alike.

86 percent of Moroccans are confident in the future (Al-Ummah Message)

A survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading job site, in collaboration with YouGov, a market research organization, revealed the skills that are expected to be most important in the next ten years in Morocco, as well as the most important changes that technology will bring to the future of the job market. According to the survey, titled The Future of Work in the Middle East and North Africa 2024, 80 percent of respondents in Morocco believe that technological factors such as digital transformation, automation, artificial intelligence, and others will affect the job market in the future. At the same time, 86 percent of Moroccans surveyed feel confident about the future of work and believe that they will succeed (49 percent) or feel excited and look forward to a world full of opportunities (37 percent), while half of respondents in the region feel confident about the future of business, believing that their professional lives will be successful.

Poultry professionals exchange accusations.. The Chicken Breeders Association holds those controlling the incubators for chick production responsible (Al-Ummah Message)

The rapid rise in the prices of white meat has prompted many professionals to shift responsibility away from themselves for the reasons that have brought prices to unprecedented levels, while calling on the responsible authorities to intervene and monitor the extent to which the rules of free competition are respected. The National Association of Poultry Breeders broke its silence on the rise in the price of chicken to prices ranging between 27 and 30 dirhams, holding the owners of incubators responsible for imposing very high prices for a single chick, which jumped in a short period from 9 to 11 dirhams. The association stressed that the high prices recorded during the summer of this year stem from incubators that sell chicks at a high price, which forces professionals to raise prices to maintain the profit margin, considering that the high price of a chick is evidence that the sector is unstructured and suffers from the monopoly of incubators.

Quneitra.. More than 4,700 farmers benefit from the project to replace sprinkler irrigation with localized irrigation (Al-Ummah Message)

About 4,713 farmers in the Kenitra region benefited from the project to replace sprinkler irrigation with localized irrigation, as part of the national program for saving irrigation water of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, which aims to modernize irrigation systems and improve the valuation of irrigation water. A statement from the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region explained that the area concerned by the project in the Kenitra region amounts to 12,440 hectares, noting that external equipment has been completed, which includes modernizing pumping stations, extending irrigation canals and building intakes, while progress in completing collective internal equipment on farms has reached 7,130 hectares, with the remaining area to be completed by 2025.

Decline in Real Estate Price Index Reflects Resilience of Used Market (Socialist Union)

Amin Mernissi, a real estate expert, confirmed that the overall decline in the real estate price index by 0.4% during the second quarter of 2024, which covers residential properties, land and properties intended for professional use, reflects the flexibility and adaptability of the used real estate market. Mernissi considered that “this market segment, which has been less severely affected by the rise in the cost of building materials and the high cost of land, has enabled buyers to make choices that are more in line with their purchasing power.” On the other hand, he reported that real estate intended for professional use is benefiting from increasing demand, supported by the favorable economic outlook related to the organization of the 2030 World Cup, noting that preparations for this major event are due to the modernization of the country’s infrastructure, with the launch of new public construction projects and deals.

Morocco races against time to build third largest dam in country to hold 1.9 billion cubic meters of Sebou water (Al-Ittihad Al-Ishtiraki)

In a critical water situation characterized by severe drought that continues year after year, Morocco is racing against time to complete the third largest dam in the country after the Al Wahda and Al Massira dams, whose water has completely dried up, which has seriously affected the size of the Kingdom’s water reserves. The Sebou Water Basin Agency revealed that work is continuing at full speed to complete the “Ratba Dam” located in the jurisdiction of the Al Ratba commune on the Oulay River in the Ghafsai district in the Taounate province, where the progress rate has reached more than 26 percent by Moroccan companies and experts. Work is being carried out on the construction of the Ratba Dam by the Ministry of Equipment and Water at full speed, as this structural project is being implemented, which is considered the second largest dam in the region after the Al Wahda Dam in the Sebou Basin. The data obtained by the same agency also revealed that the construction of this dam will cost 4 billion dirhams.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan receives Jerusalemite children participating in the 15th session of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency’s summer camp (Le Matin)

By order of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan received, on Friday at the Royal Palace in Tetouan, the children of Jerusalem participating in the 15th session of the summer camp organized by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency. This initiative, organized under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, and supervised by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency, reflects the constant care that His Majesty the King, may God preserve Him, gives to the Holy City and its inhabitants. It also comes to strengthen the work of the Agency, which aims to support the Holy City of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, through various projects with a tangible impact on the people of Jerusalem, especially women, children and people in difficult situations.

Exemption of school supplies from VAT upon import (Le Matin)

At the request of professionals working in the school supplies sector, the General Directorate of Taxes informed the Customs and Indirect Tax Administration that the exemption from import VAT is also granted to imports of school supplies, provided that they are intended exclusively for school use. As a result, the list of school supplies eligible for exemption from import VAT has been expanded to include a certain number of items, namely notebooks and colouring books, adhesives for students with a capacity not exceeding 36 grams or 120 ml, glue guns and hot melt glue sticks of 7 mm and 11 mm calibres and plastic drawing aprons.

Ahmed Al-Halimi: Comprehensive mobilization is a title for the success of the 2024 general population and housing census process (Al-Akhbar)

In Dakhla, the High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, affirmed the day before yesterday, Thursday, that comprehensive mobilization is a title for the success of the 2024 general population and housing census, which will start on September 1. During this meeting, which is part of a tour starting from the city of Dakhla to include various parts of the Kingdom with the aim of shedding light on the statistical process, Lahlimi affirmed that all the necessary conditions have been provided for the success of this major entitlement that Morocco has been accustomed to carrying out every ten years, in implementation of the royal instructions contained in the letter addressed to the Head of Government, stressing that given its comprehensive nature, it will allow determining the situation of each individual residing in the Kingdom, as well as their living conditions and the situation of the country in various aspects and at all levels.

Tax revenues exceeded 209 billion dirhams (Al Akhbar)

The annual report of the General Directorate of Tax Administration revealed the achievement of significant tax revenues exceeding 209 billion dirhams during the year 2023, thus exceeding the expectations of the Finance Law for the same year by 105 percent. The increase in these revenues is due to the strict measures taken by the Directorate to strengthen tax control and combat the phenomenon of tax evasion. Younes Idrissi Kaitouni, Director General of Taxes, confirmed in a speech included in the report that the achievements of the General Directorate of Taxes for the year 2023 are in line with the objectives set out in the strategic vision set by the Directorate, explaining that in terms of resource mobilization, measures aimed at strengthening voluntary compliance contributed to the outstanding performance recorded during 2023, as tax revenues recorded an increase of 6.7 percent to reach 209 billion dirhams.

New strike paralyzes courts for six days (Al-Masaa)

The National Bureau of the Democratic Union of Justice announced what it described as the paralysis of the courts and the continuation of the protest, and the entry into a national strike for 72 hours on August 27-28-29, and another national strike on September 5-4-3, with the organization of a national protest march on Wednesday, September 4. A statement on the subject stated that the National Bureau of the Union authorized the local offices, each according to its capabilities, to create forms of struggle and mobilization accompanying the national strike in a way that enhances the participation of all cadres and employees of the Registry Authority, with the necessity of opening up to the professional bodies assisting the judiciary, seeking their understanding of its struggle program and their support for its just and legitimate demands.

23 dead and 2,883 injured in traffic accidents in urban areas during the past week (Liberation)

23 people were killed and 2,883 others were injured, 107 of them seriously, in 2,086 traffic accidents recorded in urban areas during the week from August 12 to 18, according to the General Directorate of National Security. Regarding traffic control and enforcement operations, the security services were able to record 45,088 violations, complete 6,461 reports that were referred to the Public Prosecution, and collect 38,627 amicable fines, bringing the total amount collected to 8,483,325 dirhams. The number of vehicles placed in the municipal impoundment reached 4,844 vehicles, the number of documents withdrawn was 6,461 documents, and the number of vehicles that were subject to arrest was 226 vehicles.

Dakhla – Oued Eddahab.. Inauguration of the new headquarters of the regional directorate of the High Commission for Planning (Liberation)

The new headquarters of the Regional Directorate of the High Commission for Planning for the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region was inaugurated on Thursday in the city of Dakhla, during a ceremony chaired by the High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed El Halimi Alami. The new building, which was built at a total cost of nearly 3 million dirhams, was inaugurated in the presence of the Wali of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, the Governor of the Oued Eddahab province, Ali Khalil, the President of the Regional Council, Khattat Yanja, and a number of elected officials and heads of external services.