Top weekly newspaper headlines.

Agadir 24 | Agadir24

Below is a list of the most prominent weekly newspaper headlines:

Fruits and vegetables: Does happy exporters make consumers miserable? (Tail Kill)

The resumption of agricultural exports to the Mauritanian market has led to renewed fears of rising prices of fruits and vegetables in Morocco. If producers welcome this situation, they nevertheless warn of possible speculative practices of intermediaries. In this regard, Rachid Benali, President of the Moroccan University of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, “At the present time, we do not expect any impact after the resumption of exports to Mauritania on selling prices to consumers.” He added, “Under the current circumstances, production is satisfactory and the markets are well supplied.” On the other hand, the head of the Interprofessional Federation of Vegetable and Fruit Producers, Hussein Addour, warned of speculators who “do not miss any opportunity to increase prices,” calling on the authorities to strengthen supervision during this period.

Social Dialogue: Is it really an “unprecedented agreement”? (Tail Kill)

The new agreement announced by the government on April 29 within the framework of the social dialogue provides for an increase in wages in the public and private sectors, in addition to a review of the income tax. In this regard, Mahdi Fakir, a former economist and accountant, commented in a call with “TelQuel” by saying that the matter is related to “an oxygen dose.” But Abdallah Al-Farki, president of the Moroccan Confederation of Small, Small and Medium Enterprises, expressed his regret at being excluded from the dialogue. He said: “We asked to be present in the social dialogue, but the government and the Patrons refused to do so.” For us, the results of the dialogue do not relate to very small, small and medium enterprises. We do not know what the government offered the patrons under the table until they agreed to increase the minimum wage for the second time by 10 percent.”

Business tourism: a jewel that must be polished to make Morocco an attractive destination (Finance News Hebdo)

The 2024 summer tourist season promises good results. Moroccan diplomacy, thanks to the enlightened policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has done great work to bring the Spanish and French governments back on the right path towards Rabat. In this context, economic and financial expert Khaled Doumou pointed out that the beginning of this new political path of friendship and mutual cooperation with our main economic and commercial partners should have a positive impact on the destination of Morocco, whether in the field of leisure tourism or business travel. On the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, the Ministry intends to promote business tourism. The development of this special sector of global tourism requires the presence of a sufficient number of luxury hotels and business hotels.

Moroccan startups falter (Finance News Hebdo)

In the dynamic African startup landscape, young Moroccan companies stand out thanks to their ingenuity and desire to innovate, but struggle to compete in terms of investments with their Nigerian, Egyptian, Kenyan or South African counterparts. In 2023, out of $2.9 billion raised by startups on the continent, Morocco received only $17 million, or barely 0.4 percent of this amount, according to data from the Africa the Big Deal platform. In this regard, Sofiane Kedrim, Director of New Technologies (CTO) and co-founder of Attila, believes that the lack of specialized skills remains a major obstacle to the development of financial technology in Morocco. This field, which requires advanced expertise in technology and finance, is currently being supported through a joint effort of educational institutions and accompaniment bodies. However, Qdream remains optimistic, as academic programs are being adapted to better reflect market needs through emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Building permits, Casablanca engineers step up (La Nouvelle Tribune)

Architects in Casablanca complain of a critical situation characterized by significant delays in granting building and housing permits, exacerbated by excessive bureaucracy and lack of communication. The head of the Regional Council of the Organization of Architects for the Central Region, Mohamed Karim Al-Sibai, explained in a press conference that this problem seriously hampers the profession and negatively affects investments in the economic capital. The situation is particularly worrying at a time when Casablanca is preparing for global events such as the 2030 World Cup. “We are facing complications that are significantly slowing down our work and putting the future of the sector at risk,” he added.

A fruitful first visit by the Director-General of the International Labor Organization to Morocco (La Nouvelle Tribune)

From 6 to 8 May 2024, the Director-General of the International Labor Organization, Gilbert Fosun Hongbo, made a working visit to Morocco. This first visit since he assumed the position of President of the International Labor Organization was marked by holding several meetings with senior Moroccan officials, union representatives, as well as patrons. During these meetings, Hongbo praised the significant progress Morocco has made in universal health coverage, social dialogue and social protection. The Director-General of the International Labor Organization stressed that the Moroccan government’s priorities are consistent with those set by the International Labor Organization, highlighting the importance that the government attaches to continuing to implement the state’s social projects.