Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco’s Attijariwafa Bank Acquires Barclays’ Egypt Branch

Morocco’s Attijariwafa bank Group has officially taken over British Barclay’s Egypt branch, reports say. Attijariwafa bank Group, Morocco’s leading bank group, won the transaction after beating several global bank groups, among which Emirati NBD headquartered in Dubai. The transaction estimated at $400 million will enable the Moroccan financial institution to expand its already wide network […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco among Africa’s Top Five Performers in Global Competitiveness, Report

Morocco has been ranked Africa’s fifth best performer in the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF.) At the continental level, Morocco was advanced by Mauritius, South Africa, Rwanda and Botswana in the Index that examines the determinants of long-term growth in a total of 138 countries. Globally, Morocco gained two […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco’s External Debt Rises to 313 Billion Dirhams in June 2016

Morocco’s external debt reached 312.9 billion dirhams by June 2016 up from 301 billion dirhams by the end of 2015, Economy and Finance Ministry said in its latest statistics. Public institutions took 52.9% of Morocco’s total external debt, followed by the treasury with 46.8%, while banks and local collectivities accounted for the remaining 0.3% of […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Cover 7 Months of Imports

Morocco’s foreign exchange reserves rose to cover 7 months and 14 days of imports by August up from 6 months and 11 days the same period last year, the Central bank, Bank Al Maghreb said. By the first week of September, Morocco’s foreign exchange reserves stood at 248.9 billion dirhams, that is a 17.7% increase […]

Algeria Finance Headlines

Algeria’s Trade Deficit Deepens to 14 bln Dollars

Algeria’s trade deficit slipped into 14 billion dollars in the first 8 months of 2016 because of the fall in oil revenues, propelling the government to draft an austere appropriation bill for 2017 with the introduction of new taxes in a bid to minimize losses. Algeria’s trade deficit worsened despite an 11% decline in imports […]

Algeria Finance Headlines

Algeria Lags Far Behind in ‘Economic Freedom of the World’ Ranking

The 2016 Economic Freedom of the World Report issued by the Canadian Fraser Institute pointed out to the plummeting economic freedom in Algeria, which ranked 151st among 159 surveyed countries. The report measures economic freedom including levels of personal choice, ability to enter markets, security of privately owned property and rule of law. It analyses […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Morocco: Attijariwafa Bank Eyes Takeover of Barclays’ Egypt Branch

Morocco’s leading banking group, Attijariwafa bank, has submitted a bid to take over British Barclay’s Egypt branch, a source close to the Moroccan institution told Reuters. The transaction has been estimated at $400 million. Barclay has decided to get rid of its Egypt’s branch as part of structural adjustment policy in a move to generate […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Casablanca, Rabat Regions comprise 48% of Morocco’s GDP

The regions of Casablanca-Settat and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra continue to drive the Moroccan economy making up 48.3% of Morocco’s GDP in 2014, the Higher Planning Commission (HCP) said. The region of Casablanca-Settat accounted for 32% of Morocco’s GDP followed by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra by 16.3%. Five other regions produced 40.3% of Morocco’s GDP. These regions are Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima (9.4%), […]

Finance Headlines Morocco

Public Sector’s Payroll Takes 49% of Morocco’s Revenues

The Payroll in the public sector absorbs 49% of state revenues, a percentage that shows the burden placed on the state budget because of an inefficient employment policy, says a study conducted by L’Economiste daily newspaper. The public sector’s payroll is in dire need of restructuring to mitigate its impact on the state budget after […]

Algeria Finance Headlines

Budget crisis, Structural Challenges Delay Completion of Algeria’s Mega Mosque

The plummeting oil prices propelled Algeria in an economic crisis marked by a sharp decrease in exports and a deepening budget deficit threatening to halt several mega projects in the country, chief among which is Algeria’s mega mosque. In 2011, when global oil prices were at their peak, works started to build the mosque overlooking […]