Morocco, still leader of world phosphates market
Morocco, Economics, 10/27/1999

Morocco's state-run phosphates corporation (OCP) maintained in 1998 its position as leader of the world phosphates market with a turnover of $ 1.5 billion.

OCP, which convened its governing board on Tuesday in Casablanca, produced 22.6 million tons of phosphates in 1998.

Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, who chairs the board, described OCP as the engine of Morocco's economy.

Youssoufi hailed the corporation's successful efforts to enlarge its outlets in the world and to establish fruitful ties with foreign partners, who started to invest in Morocco.

A $ 230-million phosphoric acid production joint venture with India's major phosphates group K.K. Birla remains OCP's major achievement in this connection. The venture, India's largest investment in a foreign country, will annually produce 1 million tons of sulfuric acid and 330,000 tons of phosphoric acid. The production unit is being built in Jorf Lasfar (120 km south of Casablanca).

Youssoufi underlined the importance of the phosphates sector as a strategic pole that makes of Morocco the World's first producer of crude and processed phosphates.

He also dwelt on the group's efforts to implement a worldwide strategy through the diversification of products with a high added-value.

The purified phosphoric acid unit of Jorf Lasfar marks the beginning of a new era for OCP in matters of the use of sophisticated technology to keep pace with the growing competition in world markets, Youssoufi said.

The Prime Minister lauded the group's contribution to downsizing unemployment in Morocco, through providing jobs to diploma holders.

OCP is Morocco's largest industrial firm providing 25 percent of the country's exports and 3 percent of the gross domestic product. The company employs 28,000 workers, including 800 engineers.

The group operates mining sites and two chemical processing zones in Safi (350 km south of Rabat) and Jorf Lasfar. (MAP)AO/

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