Welcome to this week’s edition of our Weekly Risk Watch, offering insights into economic indicators, political shifts, and security updates that could impact your business or daily life, all in one concise package.
Economy and Markets
- Moroccan beekeepers warned that the government’s decision to reduce honey import duties from 40% to 2.5% will harm local production and cooperatives; risk of market disruption and unfair competition.
- Reports on November 23 revealed that bounced checks from “self-employed contractors” have triggered risk management alerts at two major banks, leading to account freezes and the suspension of checkbook issuance; risk of financial fraud and credit risk.
- The High Commission for Planning reported on November 22, 2024, that the consumer price index increased by 0.7% in October 2024 compared to the previous year, driven by higher food and non-food prices; risk of inflationary pressure .
- The Ministry of Agriculture announced plans to implement a partnership agreement signed in February 2024 with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to promote solar-powered irrigation, targeting 51,000 hectares of farmland; risk of implementation delays and operational challenges.
Political Stability
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Students in Larache protested after a Ksar El-Kebir student’s death from a bus accident, blaming local officials for inadequate transportation; risk of social unrest.
- Public sector doctors in Morocco began a strike on Tuesday, November 21, with inpatient and resident doctors joining on Wednesday, November 22, raising concerns about service disruptions; risk of service interruption, and public health impact.
- The General Inspectorate of Territorial Administration opened an investigation on November 21, 2024, into abandoned local community contracts, uncovering irregularities in budget allocation, discriminatory clauses, and conflicts of interest; risk of corruption.
- Over 100 protests took place on Friday, November 22, across 58 Moroccan cities for the 59th consecutive week against Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and Lebanon, supporting the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant; risk of political instability.
- The Socialist Opposition Group in Parliament criticized the 2025 draft finance law, accusing the government of unrealistic assumptions and optimism, warning of future economic and social crises; risk of fiscal mismanagement.
- Minister Younes Sekkouri held a consultation with the National Union of Labour on the controversial strike law, amidst union frustration over the parliamentary process; risk of social unrest and labor disputes.
Cross-border
- Reports from Spanish media indicate that the Spanish government plans to transfer control of airspace management over the Sahara, currently overseen by the “Enaire” company from the Canary Islands, to Morocco, as part of the 2022 Morocco-Spain joint declaration; risk of regional tensions.
- Algeria’s defense spending is set to reach a record 3.35 trillion dinars ($25.1 billion) in 2025, making it one of the highest in the MENA region; risk of regional tensions .
- In a joint security operation, Moroccan and Spanish authorities dismantled a nine-member ISIS-linked terrorist cell across multiple cities; risk of terrorist threats and cross-border security challenges.
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