MAD 4billion to eradicate the rest of Casablanca shantytowns, minister

The government will contribute MAD 1.5b to the four billion Moroccan Dirhams project (about Euro 363m) to eradicate what remains of the unhealthy housing in Casablanca, Housing Minister, Ahmed Toufiq Hjira, announced Tuesday.

The minister told the Moroccan TV that the government's efforts are focused on removing the rest of shantytowns in Casablanca, which house some 47 thousand families.

On Tuesday, King Mohammed VI launched a real-estate project aimed to benefit some 2,300 families through building new housing units for the dwellers of the "sakouila" slum in Casablanca.

The monarch also launched, the same day, a relocation program of the Thomas shantytown to benefit nearly three thousand families.

Some 34,500 people live in Casablanca slums, representing 30% of slum-dwellers nationwide, said the minister, noting that the two projects of "sakouila" and "Thomas" slums will benefit 51,800 persons, and cost about MAD 700m (about Euro 63m).

Hjira indicated that the national program of fighting unhealthy housing seeks the utter elimination of shantytowns by 2010.