afrol News, 18 May - The Moroccan Minister of Trade and Industry, Salaheddine Mezouar, today announced his Ministry's plans to boost developments of Morocco's troubled industrial sector at the national Senate. Among these plans is the aim of creating 300,000 jobs in the sector during the next ten years, according to official sources in Rabat.

Morocco, still the poorest and least developed country in North Africa, is currently experiencing significant economic growth, mostly driven by its booming tourism sector and growing foreign trade. A free trade agreement with the US and progressively growing market access to the European Union (EU) have created hope for the modernisation and growth of other sectors as well.

According to Minister Mezouar, the Rabat Trade and Industry Ministry is currently studying "the elaboration of mechanisms aimed at the application of a new industrial strategy to assure economic growth and the creation of 300,000 new jobs during the next ten years."

During his speech to the Moroccan Senate, the Minister emphasised that this new industrial strategy would permit Morocco to increase its potential regarding the aim of "transforming the Kingdom into a regional and international pool, specialised in specified industrial sectors." The, announced Mr Mezouar, would be implemented "through a general development focus into the industrial sector during the next ten years."

According to information released today by the government-controlled agency MAP, Mr Mezouar further has announced that his proposed industrial policy would specially look into Morocco's troubled textile sector, focusing on rationalisation and modernisation. Further, one would emphasise on sectors where the Kingdom had special competitive advantages, such as electronics, agrobusiness, refined fishery products and the vehicle production industry.

While Morocco recently has gained increased access to markets in North America and Europe, the country's underdeveloped industry so far has failed to take off. Indeed, other Maghreb countries such as Tunisia and Algeria have proven more successful in attracting large foreign investements into their booming industry sectors.

One of the main existing industries in Morocco, the textile sector, indeed has fallen victim to the reorganistion of the world's textile market since 1 January this year. While general numbers for Morocco's textile exports this year still are not known, a recent study showed that Morocco's textile exports to Scandinavia decreased by 8.9 percent from the first quarter in 2004 to the first quarter of 2005. Tunisia's textile exports to the same region at the same time grew by 16.2 percent.

Morocco's textile industry is known to be less efficient and using older technologies than competitors in other low cost countries. Also, Morocco is not yet know as a country where it is easy to find skilled labour - the Kingdom has the highest illiteracy rate of the entire Maghreb region.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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