NEW CEO OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION VISITS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 000225 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/PI AND NEA/MAG E.O. 12958 TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON SOCI KMCA MO SUBJECT: NEW CEO OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION VISITS MOROCCO REF: 05 RABAT 02151 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (U) Summary. New Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO, Ambassador John Danilovich, visited Morocco January 24- 27 to review and discuss the country's progress in preparing its compact proposal to use MCC funds. Danilovich and his staff met with Prime Minister Driss Jettou, the GOM's Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) team, numerous ministries, civil society organizations, visited several rural development organizations, were interviewed by a local business paper, and held a press conference. The MCC team reinforced upon the GOM the importance of a broad consultative process and the need to focus on economic growth in developing a successful compact proposal. They also articulated the necessity of conducting thorough market analysis to ensure the projected results of economic growth programs. After initial resistance to these oft repeated goals, the GOM showed increased acceptance of MCC's program requirements and reached a compromise agreement. The GOM promised a new compact proposal within 60 days that meets MCC's requirements. End summary. -------------- OPENING STATEMENTS -------------- ¶2. (U) The trip to Morocco, and later Benin, was Danilovich's first official travel overseas in his new capacity. Traveling with him were his Chief of Staff, Matt McLean; Senior Country Director, Michael Grossman; Associate Country Director, Magda Ismail; Press Officer, Davy Kong; and Executive Assistant, Christian Vanderbrouk. After an initial briefing with the Embassy's country team, Ambassadors Riley and Danilovich met privately with Jettou and the leaders of the GOM's MCA team, Economic Advisor, Haya Bouhia; and Director of the Agency for the Development of the North, Driss Benhima. An expanded meeting followed which included the entire MCC team, the GOM's MCA team, numerous other GOM officials, as well as television and print reporters and cameras. ¶3. (SBU) The expanded meeting started with the Moroccans emphasizing important links with their proposed compact proposal to the King's National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) and the three poorest rural regions of Morocco. Jettou suggested that in his opinion, all INDH projects should be eligible for inclusion in the compact proposal, but that the GOM would let the MCC team choose which INDH projects it wanted to support. He also offered to come to the U.S. to help finalize the compact negotiations. Benhima noted that the INDH remains a work in progress, to which Grossman responded that MCC and the GOM should work together to complete the parts expected to become part of their compact. ¶4. (SBU) Grossman continued that while the GOM was on the right track, MCC would like to see the consultative process expanded even further. While it was evident that there was consultation in the three regions targeted to receive aid in the current proposal, MCC would like to see the consultative process implemented nationally, so that no region or group was excluded before the process began. Grossman added that more market analysis was needed for portions of the current proposal, such as rural tourism, to determine that the GOM's anticipated demand for services was accurate. He concluded by reminding the GOM that since the MCC must be held accountable to American taxpayers, it cannot just trust the GOM's claims that certain projects are worthwhile; supporting analysis was also required. ¶5. (SBU) The Prime Minister suggested that "as we complete one part of the proposal and agree on it, that we set it aside, as we did with the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement." He expressed that he was bothered by the fact that even after many months of discussion, all aspects of the MCA program were on the table. Grossman then encouraged the GOM to keep lines of communication open. -------------- ENGAGING THE MINISTRIES -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On January 25, the MCC team, Ambassador Riley and econoff held a series of meetings with the Ministries of Finance, Interior, Agriculture, Land Management, and the RABAT 00000225 002 OF 003 Agency for the Development of the North. The MCC team reasserted that a broader consultative was necessary and Ambassador Danilovich stressed that the next two days would be very important to gaining an understanding of each other. ¶7. (SBU) After officials from the Ministry of Interior presented an overview of the INDH and a list of priority sectors for assistance, the MCC team impressed upon them some of their concerns. Benhima admitted that the GOM does not yet have a portfolio of detailed projects it would like to undertake. In addition, some of the projects exceeded the MCC's five-year time limit for completion. Once again, Grossman reiterated MCC's need for the GOM to demonstrate the ideas of economic growth, a consultative process, measurability of results, and the proposed projects need to be completed in a five year time frame. ¶8. (SBU) Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Laenser offered the MCC team many growth projections and plans for raising output. However, McLean questioned the validity of supply side projections without sufficient demand side analysis. When he asked who would buy this increased output of agricultural products, GOM officials did not provide a clear response. McLean added that the GOM's ideas might in reality be very good but further analysis was necessary to validate them. He added that reforming laws that affect farmers might have a greater impact on the agricultural sector than focusing on increasing production. He suggested that changes in the areas of land ownership, property rights, subsidies and water use might be more relevant to help farmers; the GOM's compact proposal might require such changes to have the desired effect. Ambassador Danilovich strongly supported the idea of legislative changes to help farmers. ¶9. (SBU) Ambassador Riley shared his experiences of seeing numerous plots of land in Morocco that were too small to be economically viable to farm but existing laws made selling them for consolidation virtually impossible. He continued that most farmers in Morocco are 60 to 70 years-old because young people are moving to the cities. Grossman added that perhaps MCC could be used to help make the needed changes by showing the GOM what it needed to make its proposed ideas succeed. The Minister acknowledged that the GOM had undertaken limited land reform in the north of the country and a law was being drafted regarding collective lands. He added that people needed to be shown the profit in change. The MCC team clearly made its point to the Minister that the GOM has other issues to consider in the field of agriculture. ¶10. (SBU) The Agency for the Development of the North presented ideas for rural tourism and economic development that did not pass MCC's scrutiny. Its $153 million job creation project revealed a cost per job created of nearly $130,000 in a country with an annual per capita income of about $1,800. However, the Secretariat of Water followed with a very sound presentation on water usage and improving Morocco's water shortage problem. McLean later commented that they had done real analysis and had developed real solutions. The MCC team concluded the day by meeting with 19 members of civil society organizations to hear their views on the situation in Morocco. Some of them reported having been consulted by the GOM about what programs the INDH should pursue but were not aware if the same thing had happened for the MCA program. They were uniform in their support for the INDH and what it meant to Morocco. -------------- LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS -------------- ¶11. (U) On January 26, the MCC team and Ambassador Riley were joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Frederick Vreeland as they toured local development associations in El Haouz province. The group visited several rural communities where local associations were working on infrastructure, farming, educational and numerous other types of projects to better their lot in life. They were assisted with technical assistance from their local or regional governments and sometimes by USAID, Catholic Relief Services, or other donor organizations, but most of the work was performed by the local people. Most of the projects were related to agriculture and included: olive oil production, bee keeping, introducing new breeds of livestock that were better suited for local conditions, crop diversification, cheese making, milk pasteurization, and many more. Other programs included RABAT 00000225 003 OF 003 drinking water and irrigation systems, educational programs, vocational training, and reforestation. El Haouz had been ranked the poorest of 69 communities nationally just two years before. However, it was said that, largely due to the work of the associations, it had risen to 53rd place. The GOM hopes to harness this type of community spirit to make its plans for the MCA program a success. -------------- THE OUTCOME -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The tour of Morocco concluded on January 27 with a successful press conference in Casablanca and an interview with the country's leading economic journal, L'Economiste. Local press gave wide and favorable coverage of the MCC visit. By the end of the trip, MCC and the Moroccan MCA team had reached a better understanding of the requirements on both sides for a viable proposal. A revised compact proposal is expected within 60 days. RILEY