Morocco to assist SMEs producing anti-coronavirus equipment

Morocco launched a platform to assist SMEs willing to transform their industries to produce protective equipment to counter coronavirus.

Industry and Trade Minister Moulay Hafid El Alamy shared on his twitter account a link to a website dedicated to small businesses that want to redirect their production to manufacture equipment and products that are necessary to the fight against coronavirus.

Several textile factories are now producing protective masks with a view of reaching a production capacity of 2.5 million masks. These masks will help protect health workers, security staff and will be available in the market for all citizens as well, according to a post shared by the minister.

An ethanol factory that was burned down was restored in a week and resumed functioning last March 23 with a production capacity of 240 hectoliters daily of the substance that is key to making sanitizers.

The government had stepped in to control the prices of sanitizers, which are now available for a maximum price of 15 dirhams per 50 milliliters.

As part of a rescue plan, a special fund created to back Morocco’s response to coronavirus offered compensations to workers in the formal and informal sector as well as tax and loan deferrals for struggling companies.