Moroccan companies to insure cars denied insurance by Italians

Morocco's minister in charge of Maghreb and Arab and Islamic world affairs, Abdeslam Znined, said Wednesday that Moroccan companies are ready to insure cars belonging to Moroccans living in Italy who have been denied insurance by Italian insurance firms.

The minister told the house of representatives that Moroccan insurance companies will "be very happy" to insure cars belonging to Moroccan expatriates who could not obtain insurance from Italy where their vehicles are registered.

He added that the Moroccan Foreign Ministry was astonished at the decision to exclude Morocco from the list of places where Italian insurance is valid. Moroccan embassies and consulates were informed on the opening of insurance services in the eastern cities of Berkane, Oujda and Nador as well as in Casablanca.

Italian insurance companies decided last May to deny insurance contracts to people travelling to Morocco in Italy-registered cars.

This decision, which will cause several problems for Moroccans living in Italy and who usually spend summer holidays in Morocco and which will discourage Italians wishing to visit Morocco, was made following a note from the Italian state insurance office, "UCI."

The note explains that this decision is due to problems arising in case of accidents involving Italian-registered cars in Morocco, in view of a high number of body damages and of faked cards.

Another Italian insurance company took the same decision by asking its agencies to cross Morocco of its insurance cards pending the printing of a new card that is likely not to include Morocco at all.