French pharmaceutical industrialists criticize obstacles to investments in morocco

French industrialists called Morocco to lift obstacles hampering investments in the sector, reports Moroccan economic daily "L'Economiste."

The French industrialists who took part in a French-Moroccan conference on pharmaceutical industry said laws regulating investments in the sector entail for Morocco losses worth some one billion DH (about $ 93,45 million), an amount that would generate 1,000 jobs, says the daily.

The industrialists noted the low level of investments over the past five years that did not exceed 1.2 billion DH ($ 112 million), and called for speeding up enforcement of the Pharmacy Code to overcome difficulties resulting from market fluctuations and the local market weaknesses.

The conference, sponsored by the Moroccan pharmaceutical industry association and the French pharmaceutical industry union, looked into issues of pricing, the drugs economy in Morocco, inspection of production sites and investments.

According to the daily, Morocco had 22 labs in 2000 employing 26,000 persons. The trade produces 180 million boxes of medicine, covering 80% of the country's needs. Some 10% of the output is exported to Europe, Africa and Asia.

Health minister, Thami El Khyari, said a Moroccan consumes an average of 180 DH ($ 16.8) worth of medicine annually.