First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s banking sector enters an AI-defined growth phase from a position of strength, according to the third edition of Boston Consulting Group’s Future of Finance 2026 report, which analyses the performance of nearly 1,500 financial institutions, including major African markets. In 2025, Moroccan banks recorded approximately 8 percent growth in their consolidated balance sheets, while […]
Morocco’s trade deficit widened 20.8% year-on-year to 160 billion dirhams ($17 billion) in the first five months of 2026 as rising imports outpaced export growth, but robust remittances from Moroccans living abroad and higher tourism receipts helped offset pressure on the country’s external accounts. Imports rose 11.8%, compared with export growth of 5.8% to 211 […]
Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) has secured more than €580 million in international financing for its “Forests of Morocco 2020-2030” strategy, with some €175 million — approximately 40 percent of total commitments, equivalent to 1.9 billion dirhams — already disbursed. The figures were disclosed at a high-level review meeting in Rabat on […]
Morocco has taken a significant step toward ending the fiscal free-riding of global digital multinationals on its market. On 11 June 2026, the Direction générale des impôts (DGI) launched a dedicated platform for the taxation of digital services, accessible through the SIMPL tax portal. The measure follows the publication of decree no. 2-25-862 in December […]
Morocco has rapidly equipped millions of citizens with digital wallets but is struggling to convert infrastructure into daily payment behavior. According to an analysis by Aurora Strategy Consulting, the country counted 13.8 million open wallets at end-2024 and approximately 3.8 million active ones — an activity rate of 18 percent and an adult equipment rate […]
Tunisia recorded a significant increase in suspicious transaction reports (STRs) linked to money laundering and terrorist financing between 2020 and 2025, according to a strategic analysis bulletin from the Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission (CTAF). The data show that STRs rose from 446 in 2020 to 1,334 in 2025, representing an increase of 888 reports, or […]
Morocco and South Korea have stepped up negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with officials aiming to reach a preliminary understanding by August and conclude the pact before the end of the year, minister in charge of trade said. The proposed agreement would go beyond traditional tariff reductions to cover investment, industrial production […]
Morocco’s textile and leather exports fell 9.1% by end-May 2026, according to data from the Office des Changes, with ready-made garments down 8.2% and knitwear declining 11.8%. The sector has failed to recover since a first quarter was already marked by falling exports, but analysts say that weather and logistics disruptions no longer account for […]
The “exceptional” economic partnership between Morocco and France is “a model for the rest of Africa,” French Junior Minister for Foreign Trade Nicolas Forissier said. “This is an exceptional economic partnership built on a shared vision, with both countries believing that international trade is a driver of success and development for peoples and future generations, […]
Morocco is now linked to 169 airports spread across 62 countries via 453 air routes, confirming the continued expansion of the kingdom’s international aviation network, according to data reported by La Vie Éco. The figures point to a sustained build-out of connectivity that has accelerated significantly over the past two decades. The growth in routes […]