Government committed to ensuring adequate food supplies during Ramadan, assures Baitas

Mustapha Baitas, the government spokesman, underscored on Thursday that the government is committed to ensuring that there are adequate food supplies during the holy month of Ramadan.

During the weekly press briefing, Baitas said that “the government has held a series of meetings at both the national and regional levels to monitor the supply of consumer goods to markets,” including those that are in high demand during Ramadan.

He noted that “all the meetings had confirmed that the markets were sufficient supplies of food and other essentials to meet demand” during the holy month, emphasizing that “other meetings are being held to monitor the several points of sale in the country.”

The government spokesman reiterated that “monitoring consumer goods extends throughout the year, not just during Ramadan.”

46,361 points of sale were monitored between January 1st and March 5th, 2024, he noted, yielding the detection of 2,983 violations. Among these violations, 545 were subject to warnings for the violators, and 2,438 were documented and sent to the relevant courts.

Baitas added that 120 tons of unfit and non-compliant products had been seized and destroyed.

Commenting on the recent report of the Supreme Council of Accounts regarding the support provided to political parties, the government spokesman confirmed that “the government always deals with all constitutional institutions with full respect for the constitution and the various laws governing these institutions.”

As to the measures undertaken by the government to address the water scarcity in Morocco, Baitas highlighted many initiatives, particularly “accelerating the completion of projects that will have a medium-term effect.”

He added that “the pace of dam construction and basin linking has been accelerated through meetings with contractors overseeing these projects.”

In addition to accelerating dam construction and basin linking projects, he highlighted other water management initiatives, such as “the national program for seawater desalination plants, the wastewater reuse program, and the water saving program at the level of the drinking water transmission and distribution network,” among others.

Regarding the Moroccan trucks being intercepted in Europe, Baitas recalled that he already discussed this issue, emphasizing that “the government has opened diplomatic channels” to address the situation.

As to the National Office for Food and Safety and its weak human resources, he underscored that the government is committed to “mobilizing resources and ensuring that the office carries out its tasks in the best possible way,” highlighting that “the office is currently performing well and enjoys the respect of all those involved in this field.”