Morocco's trade policy aims at consolidating rule of law (minister)
Morocco, Economics, 6/17/2003

Trade policy reforms and efforts undertaken by Morocco are part of its efforts to consolidate the rule of law and democracy, for a strong, job-creating growth, said here Monday Moroccan minister of foreign trade, Mustapha Mechahouri.

Speaking before WTO's "Morocco trade policy review" session, Mechahouri, accompanied by Moroccan ambassador to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, and several collaborators and executives from several departments, reiterated Morocco's adherence to the multilateral trade system and its basic principles.

The minister briefed the body on the different stages that marked Morocco's political evolution since the latest meeting in 1996. Morocco has carried on its liberalization process, especially by lowering tariff protection, easing foreign trade procedures, establishing an investment and business-friendly environment and consolidating its multilateral trade system.

Other measures taken by Morocco also aim to adapt Moroccan legislation to WTO principles and rules and consolidate the private sector's role in economic development, Mechahouri said. Recalling the privatization process launched in 1993, the minister cited the success stories of the privatization of the phone operator Maroc Telecom (2000) and the tobacco company (2003), whose success, he said, evidences foreign investors' confidence in the kingdom.

The minister said customs and foreign trade procedures have become much simpler since 1996 and that custom-clearing goods takes now one hour, instead of 5 days before 1997.

Morocco has set up trade jurisdictions to examine commercial disputes and ones for public bids and competitiveness, respectively in 1999 and 2000, Mustapha Mechahouri added.

Despite an adverse juncture resulting from four years of drought between 1996 and 2001, these reforms were successful and the openness and liberalization process was maintained, he said underscoring the signing by Morocco of a series of bilateral and regional free-trade agreements geared toward economic integration.

He also renewed Morocco's resolve to join its efforts to those of other WTO member states in order for the multilateral trade system to thrive in stability, predictability and fairness and to ensure that each country is able to establish and consolidate its economic links with the rest of the world.

The WTO trade policy survey is a tool to appraise in a collective and regular manner trade policies enforced by the WTO member countries in order to follow tendencies and new facts that could have an impact on the world trade system. The survey takes place on the basis of two reports: one by the WTO secretariat and one by the government.

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