Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco: FDI Flow, Expatriates’ Remittances Grew in 2017

Remittances of Moroccans living abroad, one of the main source of foreign exchange reserves in Morocco, grew by 4% in the first eleven months of 2017 to stand at 60.2 billion dirhams ($6.5 bln), while FDI flow in the country grew by 13.2% to 21.8 billion dirhams over the same period compared to 19.3 billion […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Souss Region Farmers Contribute to Building of World’s Biggest Water Desalination Plant

Local farmers in the Souss region are financially contributing to the building of the world’s biggest water desalination plant whose water will help irrigate the plains of Chtouka. The farmers are contributing €1000 (10,000 dh) per each hectare in an unprecedented success story of the public-private partnership in Morocco, local media reported. The contributions will […]

Finance Headlines Mauritania

France Loans Morocco €128 million to buy Locomotives

France granted a 128 million euro loan to fund the locomotives that Morocco’s national railway operator (ONCF) plans to purchase as part of its development program. The loan will boost the ONCF shift to electric railway in line with Morocco’s environmental commitment. ONCF posted a net profit of 223 million Dirhams in 2016, up 31% […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

WB Loans Morocco $200 mln to Spur Small Agri-food Industries

The World Bank and Morocco signed a loan agreement worth $200 million in support of the second pillar of the Green Morocco Plan, particularly in the areas of promoting citrus and olive oil industries. The loan, signed by the World Bank and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, targets small and medium sized producers of […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco’s Central Bank Maintains Key Interest Rate Unchanged at 2.25%

Morocco’s Central Bank, Bank Al Maghrib, kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.25% following its board meeting on Tuesday, December 19. The Bank said inflation was expected to reach 0.7 % on average at year end, down from 1.6 percent in 2016. The bank also revised down economic growth to 4.1% this year from […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco: IMF Commends Sound Economic Policies, Recommends structural reform efforts

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commended Morocco for its “sound” macroeconomic policies and reforms while stressing the need for structural reform efforts. “Executive Directors commended the authorities for the sound macroeconomic policies and reform implementation that have helped improve the resilience of the Moroccan economy, upgrade the fiscal and financial policy […]

Business Finance Headlines Morocco

BMCE Bank of Africa Wins ‘Bank of the Year’ Award

The Banker magazine awarded for the eighth consecutive time the “Bank of the Year Morocco” award to the BMCE Bank of Africa. The Banker’s eighteenth annual Bank of the Year awards provides an unrivaled opportunity to meet and network with industry peers and to celebrate the achievements of successful financial institutions from around the world. […]

Business Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco’s Currency Regulator Does Not Recognize Bitcoin

The transactions made via Bitcoin, the digital payment system, constitute a “violation of regulations, punishable by penalties and fines”, said the Moroccan government agency “Office des Changes”. The Office stand comes few days after Moroccan digital services company MTDS said it would accept payment in bitcoin. According to the Office des Changes, the use of […]

Business Finance Morocco

EBRD Contributes €15 Mln to Support SMEs in Morocco, Tunisia & Egypt

The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) is supporting small and medium-sized businesses in Morocco, Tunisia & Egypt with a €15 million equity investment in the first close of Mediterrania Capital III LP (MC III), which could increase up to €35 million in subsequent closings. This is the third fund of Mediterrania Capital Partners, […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco Earmarks 6.85 bln dirhams to Fight Disparities in Rural Areas

Morocco has earmarked 6.85 billion dirhams to a program meant to curb disparities between cities and rural areas in 2018. Speaking at the weekly government meeting Thursday, Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the program will be funded by the fund of rural and mountainous zones development with the aim of opening up hard-to-reach areas, developing […]