Competition and free-price bill, a major achievement says Youssoufi

The bill on competition and free-prices is a major and irreversible gain, said Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi closing the works of the Euro - Mediterranean seminar "Competition Law and policies" held in Casablanca July 18-19 under royal patronage.

Youssoufi recalled how the message addressed by King Mohammed VI to the seminar clearly spelled out the government's resolve to provide economic, legal and institutional conditions to strengthen the rule of law in the realm of economy.

The bill passed by the Parliament as the end-result of an undertaking incepted in the 80's will help enhance a new economic culture based on free enterprise and sound and loyal competition putting an end to privileges and giving consumers more choice and better service, he said. The new legislation, he went on, is the cornerstone of a whole set-up of texts and codes, passed or in the process, to create a new environment for enterprise and business and raise it to the level of international standards in a world context of regional economic groupings and economic globalization.

Enforcement of the bill will definitely enable Moroccan production to fit in ever-opening markets and honor commitments and contracts the kingdom will pass paving the way to free-trade at the regional level, with the European Union, the European free-trade association as well as on the bilateral level with partners such as Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan, the prime minister said.

Earlier, minister of the government general affairs, Ahmed Lahlimi, hailed the seminar as a total success thanks to participation of top experts from Maghreb, Arab, African and European countries and delegates of the United Nations system bodies.

Head of the competition and consumer protection department of the UN Conference for Trade And Development "UNCTAD" Phillipe Bruscik also praised the works of the seminar and said the bill on competition and free-prices is a major achievement and evidence that Morocco is busy contributing to the liberalization of international trade.