Tough times for Moroccan cafes and restaurants as government tightens restrictions

The extension of the night curfew during Ramadan is the last nail in the coffin of the restaurant and cafe industry in Morocco, professionals said.

In a letter sent to the government earlier this month, the national cafes and restaurants association urged the government to backtrack from its decision to impose a night curfew during Ramadan.

Most cafes and restaurants open only at night after breakfast during the holy month. A night curfew during Ramadan means they have to shutdown for a month.

Head of the Government Saad Dine El Otmani maintained that the curfew remains in place citing fears of a surge in new coronavirus strains and adding that collective immunity has not been reached yet.

For Noureddine EL Harrak, head of the national cafes and restaurants association, this measure is the straw that will break the back of this business.

“We have been waiting for an easing of restrictive measures,” he deplored in a statement to Telquel magazine.

Nothing was done to save the sector, he said, noting that 25% of restaurants and cafes had shutdown due to the pandemic.

Hence, the night curfew during Ramadan will force more cafes and restaurants to end their business.

 

In rersponse to their plea, Morocco’s head of government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, has announced new financial support for the owners of cafes and restaurants and the vulnerable workers who are not registered with the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).

 

The CNSS had offered 2000 dirhams monthly for workers in the sectors of tourism and other businesses directly hit by the pandemic.