Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06RABAT39
2006-01-09 17:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rabat
how-toVZCZCXRO6316 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHRB #0039/01 0091710 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 091710Z JAN 06 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2461 INFO RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 1068 RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3657 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8564 RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 2927 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3944 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1407 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 5308 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2719 RUEATRS/DEPTTREAS WASHDC RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 0832 RUEAORC/USCBP WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000039
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/OFI AND INL/AAE
DEPT ALSO FOR EB/TPP, EB/IFD AND DRL/IL
STATE PASS USTR FOR DOUG BELL
STATE PASS USAID FOR JENNIFER RAGLAND
USDOC ITA/MAC/ANESA FOR DAVID ROTH
USDOC FOR FSC/OIO AND CLDP
USDOL FOR ILAB
PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON FOR TSOU
ROME FOR ROSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ELTN SENV MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
REF: A) Rabat 2311
----------------------------
GOM Poverty Indicators Decline
------------------------------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 000039
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/OFI AND INL/AAE
DEPT ALSO FOR EB/TPP, EB/IFD AND DRL/IL
STATE PASS USTR FOR DOUG BELL
STATE PASS USAID FOR JENNIFER RAGLAND
USDOC ITA/MAC/ANESA FOR DAVID ROTH
USDOC FOR FSC/OIO AND CLDP
USDOL FOR ILAB
PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON FOR TSOU
ROME FOR ROSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ELTN SENV MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
REF: A) Rabat 2311
--------------
GOM Poverty Indicators Decline
--------------
1. Government of Morocco poverty figures indicate that from
1999 to 2004 the number of Moroccans living below the
poverty line - defined as a monthly household income of $187
for a family of 5.6 people living in an urban setting, or
$194 for a family of 6.4 people living in a rural setting -
has fallen from 19 percent to just over 14 percent
nationwide. The 2004 statistics indicate that 22 percent of
rural families fall below this line, while only eight
percent of urban-dwellers do.
--------------
Slow Growth for 2005
--------------
2. The Moroccan economy grew at a real rate of just 1.2
percent in 2005, below the expectations of the 2005 Budget
Law. However, positive growth was maintained despite poor
climatic conditions that led to a drop in the agricultural
GDP of 16 percent. Moroccan GDP is still heavily dependant
on agriculture, most of which is rain-fed and subject to the
vagaries of the weather. GOM economic planners are trying
to decrease the country's dependence on rain-fed
agriculture, making GDP growth less dependent on climactic
conditions.
--------------
Tourism Brings in $4 Billion
--------------
3. Over five million tourists visited Morocco in 2005, a
five percent increase over the previous year. Growth
occurred mostly in traditional markets including France (20
percent),the UK (52 percent),Spain (28 percent) and
Belgium (25 percent). French tourists ranked first with 1.2
million arrivals, followed by Spain (320,067),Great Britain
(175,585),Germany (133,458),Belgium (116,505) and Italy
(107,899). Tourist revenues reached $4 billion,
approximately eight percent of GDP.
--------------
Morocco Leads in Clean Development Projects
--------------
4. Morocco has become the first Arab country and the first
in Africa to register projects with the UN's Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM),which allows adherents of the
Kyoto Protocol to purchase carbon dioxide credits to meet
the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets they agreed to
under the Protocol (Ref A). Morocco ratified the Kyoto
Protocol in January 2002.
--------------
Declining Road Fatalities
--------------
5. Road accident fatalities declined by seven percent in
the first ten months of 2005, and serious injuries were down
11 percent. Transport Minister Karim Ghellab attributed the
RABAT 00000039 002 OF 002
decline to a series of measures the GOM has taken to combat
the problem of high traffic fatalities, including requiring
medical check ups for truck and public transport drivers,
increased enforcement of technical inspections and laws
mandating the use of seat belts. Ninety-two percent of the
nearly three million vehicles circulating in Morocco are
more than five years old. Accidents kill 4,000 people
annually and cost the country $1.2 billion.
-------------- --
Five Million Sheep Slaughtered in Just Two Days
-------------- --
6. Officials estimate 4.9 million live sheep will be
purchased and slaughtered during the January 10-11 Eid al-
Adha holiday. Sheep are alaughtered and eaten countrywide
as part of the Eid holiday celebration. The Ministry of
Agriculture reports that more than six million head of sheep
are available on the market this year. Prices are slightly
higher than last year, at 32-40 dirhams (US$3.50-4.40) per
kilo of live beast, meaning an average-sized sheep will cost
$160, roughly a month's salary for a low-income family.
Social pressure to purchase a large and costly sheep is
great, and the annual expenditure is a difficult one for
many Moroccan families. The GOM estimates that the Eid
purchase accounts for 25 percent of the budget an average
family spends each year on meat.
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/OFI AND INL/AAE
DEPT ALSO FOR EB/TPP, EB/IFD AND DRL/IL
STATE PASS USTR FOR DOUG BELL
STATE PASS USAID FOR JENNIFER RAGLAND
USDOC ITA/MAC/ANESA FOR DAVID ROTH
USDOC FOR FSC/OIO AND CLDP
USDOL FOR ILAB
PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON FOR TSOU
ROME FOR ROSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ELTN SENV MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
REF: A) Rabat 2311
--------------
GOM Poverty Indicators Decline
--------------
1. Government of Morocco poverty figures indicate that from
1999 to 2004 the number of Moroccans living below the
poverty line - defined as a monthly household income of $187
for a family of 5.6 people living in an urban setting, or
$194 for a family of 6.4 people living in a rural setting -
has fallen from 19 percent to just over 14 percent
nationwide. The 2004 statistics indicate that 22 percent of
rural families fall below this line, while only eight
percent of urban-dwellers do.
--------------
Slow Growth for 2005
--------------
2. The Moroccan economy grew at a real rate of just 1.2
percent in 2005, below the expectations of the 2005 Budget
Law. However, positive growth was maintained despite poor
climatic conditions that led to a drop in the agricultural
GDP of 16 percent. Moroccan GDP is still heavily dependant
on agriculture, most of which is rain-fed and subject to the
vagaries of the weather. GOM economic planners are trying
to decrease the country's dependence on rain-fed
agriculture, making GDP growth less dependent on climactic
conditions.
--------------
Tourism Brings in $4 Billion
--------------
3. Over five million tourists visited Morocco in 2005, a
five percent increase over the previous year. Growth
occurred mostly in traditional markets including France (20
percent),the UK (52 percent),Spain (28 percent) and
Belgium (25 percent). French tourists ranked first with 1.2
million arrivals, followed by Spain (320,067),Great Britain
(175,585),Germany (133,458),Belgium (116,505) and Italy
(107,899). Tourist revenues reached $4 billion,
approximately eight percent of GDP.
--------------
Morocco Leads in Clean Development Projects
--------------
4. Morocco has become the first Arab country and the first
in Africa to register projects with the UN's Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM),which allows adherents of the
Kyoto Protocol to purchase carbon dioxide credits to meet
the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets they agreed to
under the Protocol (Ref A). Morocco ratified the Kyoto
Protocol in January 2002.
--------------
Declining Road Fatalities
--------------
5. Road accident fatalities declined by seven percent in
the first ten months of 2005, and serious injuries were down
11 percent. Transport Minister Karim Ghellab attributed the
RABAT 00000039 002 OF 002
decline to a series of measures the GOM has taken to combat
the problem of high traffic fatalities, including requiring
medical check ups for truck and public transport drivers,
increased enforcement of technical inspections and laws
mandating the use of seat belts. Ninety-two percent of the
nearly three million vehicles circulating in Morocco are
more than five years old. Accidents kill 4,000 people
annually and cost the country $1.2 billion.
-------------- --
Five Million Sheep Slaughtered in Just Two Days
-------------- --
6. Officials estimate 4.9 million live sheep will be
purchased and slaughtered during the January 10-11 Eid al-
Adha holiday. Sheep are alaughtered and eaten countrywide
as part of the Eid holiday celebration. The Ministry of
Agriculture reports that more than six million head of sheep
are available on the market this year. Prices are slightly
higher than last year, at 32-40 dirhams (US$3.50-4.40) per
kilo of live beast, meaning an average-sized sheep will cost
$160, roughly a month's salary for a low-income family.
Social pressure to purchase a large and costly sheep is
great, and the annual expenditure is a difficult one for
many Moroccan families. The GOM estimates that the Eid
purchase accounts for 25 percent of the budget an average
family spends each year on meat.