First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco, which rejoined the African Union last year, signed this Wednesday the agreement launching the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The signing ceremony took place at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union on AfCFTA convened in Kigali, Rwanda. The AfCFTA was inked by Head of Moroccan Government Saâd Eddine El Othmani, who […]
Morocco’s central bank, Bank Al Maghrib, said growth will reach 3.3% in 2018 and 3.5% in 2019, down from 4% last year. The bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.25%, as the financial conditions look stable since the launch of the gradual dirham float last January. Inflation was expected to reach 1.8% on […]
Spanish car parts maker, Ficosa, will start operating its Moroccan plant specializing in producing in-vehicle cameras on March 20, the company said. The Catalonia-based Ficosa, which has been sold to Japan’s Panasonic last July, has completed the plant for a total cost of €30 million. The plant, which will offer 800 direct jobs by 2020, […]
Few weeks after the launch of the gradual Dirham float, The International Monetary Fund has advised Morocco to maintain the current reform pace with a view to strengthening the economy’s competitiveness. “Unlike other emerging economies, Morocco didn’t loosen currency restrictions under pressure, so authorities can take their time with future steps,” Nicolas Blancher, the IMF’s […]
Edita Food Industries SAE (EFID) has announced plans to set up snack food factory in Morocco. Edita, which has teamed up with Dislog Group in Morocco, seeks to reinforce its expansion plans and strengthen its position in the snacks market. Last December, Edita’s chairman and CEO Hani Berzi said that commercial operations will begin in […]
Credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded Tunisia’s credit rating to B2 against the backdrop of deteriorating fiscal situation, complicating the government’s plans to borrow from international lenders. Moody’s cut Tunisia’s rating by one notch to B2– five levels below investment grade and on a par with Argentina, Nigeria, Cameroon and Kenya. Moody’s rating downgrade will complicate […]
Spanish car component manufacturer, Teknia Group, has opened a new plant in Tangier to boost its production capacity. The new factory, which replaces an existing plant set up by the group in 2011, is built over a surface area of 2,700 square meters, the Group said in a statement. The Spanish group operates in the […]
The positive performance of the Moroccan economy enabled North Africa to achieve the second highest growth rate of 4.9% at the African level, the African Development Bank said. The performance of the Moroccan economy, which saw growth rise from 1.2% in 2016 to 4.1% in 2017 gave a boost to North African posted the second […]
Morocco’s aviation industry is cruising full speed steadily and spreading its wings for takeoff. This is what the figures released by the aeronautics federation (GIMAS) show. The domestic sourcing rate of the sector jumped from 17% in 2016 to 29% in 2017, while exports value rose by 18.4 during the same period. This progress is […]
Credit rating agency Moody’s maintained Morocco’s BA1 positive ranking, and noted that the country’s credit strengths reflect a structural shift towards higher value-added export industries and fiscal improvements, which could lead to stronger non-agricultural growth and a stabilization and gradual reduction in public sector debt. “Morocco is strategically positioned within global value chains in the […]