First Independent Mena Newspaper
The Moroccan government needs to increase its 2024 budget by 14 billion dirhams ($1.4 billion) to meet expenditures linked to subsidizing electricity prices and wage hikes, minister delegate in charge of the budget Fouzi Lekjaa said. In a presentation at the finance committee in parliament, Lekjaa recalled that the government has approved a decree to […]
OCP Group, the world leader in plant nutrition solutions and phosphate-based fertilizers, announced it has finalized a €200 million financing agreement with KfW, Germany’s development and investment bank, to enhance global food security and combat climate change. The KfW loan is a significant contribution towards OCP Group’s $13 billion green investment strategy for 2023-2027 to […]
Morocco’s economic growth is expected to reach 3.5 pc in 2024 and 3.8% in 2025, driven by higher investment, according to latest projections released by the African Development Bank. In its African Economic Outlook 2024 report, the Bank said inflation is projected to fall slightly to 4.1% in 2024 and 3.8% in 2025, as world […]
Over $30 billion worth of gold was smuggled out of Africa in 2022, primarily to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, and Switzerland, according to a new ground-breaking report by Swissaid that calls for more transparency and traceability in the gold supply chain to improve local conditions and artisanal miners’ working conditions throughout the continent. […]
Morocco expects to further cut its fiscal deficit from 4% in 2024 to 3.5% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, despite an increase in spending on social protection, Fouzi Lekjaa said. The deficit was at 7.1% when the government took office in 2021, at a context marked by a recovery from the economic impact of […]
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved an €84 million funding for the sustainable development of forest areas in Morocco, meant to enhance climate resilience and promote local entrepreneurship. The project meant to support the inclusive and sustainable development of forest areas in Morocco aims to contribute to strengthening the […]
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved funding of €120 million under the Transformation Support Program for a Moroccan Digital, Entrepreneurial, and Inclusive University (UM 4.0). This program, which targets students, higher education teachers, entrepreneurs and young graduates, aims to contribute to the development of human capital and the […]
Morocco will earmark 1 billion dollars to buy new buses in different Moroccan cities as part of a 2024-2029 urban transport modernization plan, the interior minister Abdelouafi Laftit said. In total, Morocco would need 3500 new buses in 32 cities as part of an investment that also includes the upgrade of ticket machines and stations, […]
Ghana signed a memorandum of understanding with bilateral creditors, including France and China, to restructure $5.4 billion worth of debt. The deal was seen as a prerequisite for unlocking $360 million from the IMF under a $3 billion bailout program next month. Ghana was the second African country to default on its debt following Zambia […]
Morocco’s experience in integrating fiscal and monetary policies to manage shocks and build resilience was highlighted during the joint annual meetings of Arab financial institutions, held in Cairo on Thursday, Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, who was speaking at a panel on “Financial sector policies for managing shocks and building resilience under uncertainty” […]