French agency says it is Morocco's major partner in development efforts

The French Development Agency said it contributed to Morocco in the 1992-1997 period, some 3.4 billion French Francs, being thus the Kingdom's major partner in its development efforts.

Head of the agency in Morocco, Olivier Beugnot, who was presenting the activity report of this organization, said that in two years (1996-1997), the agency disbursed 1.5 billion FF to Morocco which constituted 11 percent of its assistance projects carried out in 60 recipient countries.

The agency's assistance strategy, he explained, focuses on operations in key and priority sectors, such as basic infrastructure (drinking water, sanitation and electricity) and rural development.

Water, he went on, represents a decisive part of the agency's assistance and involves both drinking water and treatment of waste water.

In 1996-97, the agency contributed 125 Mln FF to an urban sanitation project, 520 mln FF for a general rural electrification program, 350 mln FF for a rural electrification project, and 171 Mln FF to finance the construction of three medium-sized dams that will supply drinking water to 300,000 inhabitants in three urban centers and irrigate 12,500 hectares.

The agency is also active in the Moroccan private sector, through its affiliate PROPARCO which operates in various fields, such as reforestation, agro-food, chemical industry, plane maintenance, renewable energy production, vocational training, and the creation of decentralized industrial areas.