Morocco came out ahead of several top business operators in the region and across the world, including South Africa (84th), Algeria (157), Saudi Arabia (62nd). Morocco had taken measures to make trading across borders faster by “introducing e-payments of port fees, streamlining paperless customs clearance, and extending port hours of operation.”

The report shows the importance of Morocco for the European Union (EU) as a trade hub and a gateway to Africa, which also makes the country more attractive for European investors. Exchanges between the two continents are likely to increase.

The EU is Morocco’s largest trading partner, accounting for 59,4% of its trade in 2017. 64,6 % of Morocco’s exports went to the EU, and 56,5% of Morocco’s imports came from the EU. Morocco is the EU’s 22nd trading partner representing 1,0% of the EU’s total trade with the world.

Morocco is not only an important trade partner but also a strategic ally of the EU, especially when it comes to common challenges, such as terrorism and migration. The EU and Morocco enjoy a high-level cooperation in many different areas ranging from fisheries and agriculture to security and development cooperation.

The World Bank report said that in Morocco made “paying taxes less costly by reducing the corporate income tax rate.” The reduction of the tax rate on companies by adopting a progressive system of corporate taxation has enabled the North African to reach the 24th rank in the world of fiscal performance index. It has also ranked 43th worldwide when it comes to the ease of business creation.

Several important reforms have been carried out including: strengthening minority investor protections; reducing the corporate income tax rate; and introducing e-payment of port fees. This has strengthened the rights of minority investors, streamlined business registration processes and made it easier for businesses to import and export goods. Morocco ranks 37th place in the Index of Protection of Minority Investors, an improvement from the 64th in the past.

Economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region implemented the most reforms on record to ease doing business for domestic small and medium-sized enterprises and hosted four of the countries that improved the most world-wide, according to the World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2020 study. Morocco retains its third position at African level behind Mauritius, which ranks 13th in the world, Rwanda (38th), and ahead of Kenya (56th), South Africa (84th), Senegal (123rd) and Nigeria (131st).

“It is a year of records for economies in the Middle East and North Africa, and we are committed to continuing our support to all countries in the region” said Ferid Belhaj, World Bank Regional Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa. “The next generation of reforms should focus on transparency, fair competition and good governance to make MENA open for business and attract investments needed to create jobs for youth and women.”

Economic policies led by the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, involve policies with a human, social, and environmental focus. He has put in place a favourable investment policy which is leading the transformation of the country into a haven for business opportunities.

The 2020 Doing Business report seeks to measure the performance of 190 countries in business facilitation by assessing the legislation and administrative procedures adopted in ten different areas of the business life cycle, namely business creation, cross-border trade, payment of taxes, building permits, the connection to electricity, the transfer of ownership, access to financing, the execution of contracts, the protection of minority investors, as well as the management of files of companies in difficulty.

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The Ministry of Justice reported that “The royal pardon comes within a framework of royal compassion and clemency, amid concern by his majesty, the King, to preserve the future of the couple who intended to start a family in line with religious precepts and the law, despite the error they committed which led to the legal proceedings.”

Both, Raissouni’s fiancé and the doctor, received the royal pardon as well.

Ms Raissouni has been released and will continue with her work as a journalist. The action taken by the King is seen by many as an encouraging and progressive step in Morocco in the realm of justice and freedom of speech.

Morocco is a key ally of the EU in the MENA region. The EU has been supporting various initiatives and projects of Morocco to advance the rule of law, and to insure the respect of the fundamental rights in the country.

#MapUrgent
SM le Roi accorde sa grâce à #HajarRaissouni.
Le Souverain a accordé également sa grâce au fiancé de Hajar Raissouni et à l’équipe médicale poursuivie dans cette affaire. https://t.co/QeeFTcdG8o pic.twitter.com/lgGosYWJU7

— Agence MAP (@MAP_Information) October 16, 2019

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On June 28th, 2019, the third phase of development of the port, Tanger Med 2, was launched. Tanger Med 2 includes two new container terminals with a capacity of 6 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) containers, which is twice the capacity of Tanger Med 1. “In only seven years, from 2007 to 2014, we saw the 3 million TEU container capacity at Tanger Med 1 being used to its limit,” said Rachid Houari, Director of Tanger Med Port 1 and 2. “We’re the closest point to Europe here in Tanger Med and so that means the ships don’t have to deviate very much from their route. That’s an extremely competitive advantage for a port in Africa.”

According to Mr. Houari, the importance of Morocco for the European Union (EU) as a trade hub and gateway to Africa is likely to increase with the opening of the Tanger Med 2. This will not only magnify the exchanges between the two continents but also develop the local economy and foster job creation, which could be instrumental in curbing irregular migration to Europe in the long run.

Connected to 186 ports in 77 countries, Tanger Med is not only a gateway bridging Europe and Africa but also a global logistics hub. Containers shipped from Tanger Med can reach the Middle East in 9 days, North and South America in 10 days, and Asia in 20 days. Every year an estimate of 1 million new vehicles are exported, plus the transit of 7 million passengers and 700,000 trucks via the Passenger and Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) Port in Tanger Med.

Up to now, most of the container traffic has been trans-shipment traffic. “Ships with up to 2,200 containers are unloaded here at Tanger Med 1 and Tanger Med 2,” said Rajae Elayachi, responsible for container activity at Tanger Med Port Authority. “Huge ships like these cannot call in at most ports in Africa. The containers have to be transferred to smaller ships.” Tanger Med 1 is operated by APM Terminals and Eurogate whereas the recently inaugurated Tanger Med 2 will be operated by APM Terminals and Marsa Morocco.

To remain attractive as a trans-shipment facility, a port must offer efficient unloading and loading of containers. Tanger Med has made significant investments both in cutting-edge technology and in developing the skill set of their employees. “The movements a crane can do, on average, is about 29 or 30 per hour, with some port operators in China being able to offer up to 40 crane movements per hour,” said Mr. Houari. “At Tanger Med 2 the current number of movements is 32. We want to bring it up to 40 as well.”

The successful development of Tanger Med port has contributed to position Morocco in the international maritime scene, allowing the North African country to rise from the 83rd to the 17th rank worldwide, according to the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The import-export activity conducted at Tanger Med represents an overall traffic valued at 317 billion dirhams (approximately 30 billion euros) in 2018.

Tanger Med Free Zone comprises an industrial hub for more than 900 companies representing a yearly export turnover of over 7,5 billion euros in sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, logistics, textile and trade. All this industrial activity has generated more than 75,000 jobs. “One of the reasons why we decided to open operations in Morocco was because we were able to develop and keep our skilled workers,” said Julianne M. Furman, General Manager Europe for EXCO Automotive Solutions. “We’ve seen many of them grow professionally with us. They want to stay here and evolve in their careers.” Via Tanger Med, EXCO ships products to 35 different customers in 115 destinations, most of which are located in Europe. More than 2,000 employees are currently working for EXCO at the Tanger industrial hub.

A company setting up operation in the Tanger Med Free Zone must export a minimum of 85% of its production. In exchange, they benefit from several customs advantages, such as having to do less paper work when receiving raw materials which would be used in the value-added processes before the final export of the product. “With over 900 companies in the industrial zone, you can imagine there is an important ecosystem therein,” said Mr. Houari. “In addition to that, there is no tax on profits for the first five years.”

In the years to come, Tanger Med will continue its dynamic evolution through a new investment program of 9 billion dirhams (850 million euros). The program aims to provide the logistics solutions needed to support the growth of Moroccan exports, particularly in the industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as the successful deployment of the industrial park Mohammed VI Tanger Tech City.

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Europe alone cannot cope with the challenges that irregular migration entails. It needs partners, countries that share the same values, the respect that ought to be given to human lives. In 2018, security authorities in Morocco clamped down on more than 70 criminal networks that had been involved in human trafficking.

New routes have made Morocco a magnet for migrants. There’s been rocketing number of arrivals reaching the coasts of Spain, a country that has left Italy and Greece behind as a destination for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

To manage migration flows means ensuring human lives will be cared for, that human rights will be respected. It is with these goals in mind that the EU decided to increase financial aid for the management of migration flows running through Morocco and Northern Africa

The European Commission has approved three new migration-related programs in North Africa worth 90,5 million EUR. The first one targets the management migration flows, ensuring human lives and respecting human rights. €55m have been earmarked for Morocco and Tunisia from the EU Trust Fund for Africa with the aim of training border guards, as well as providing them with better equipment to prevent irregular migration. The second one will provide emergency assistance to vulnerable and stranded migrants in Libya, while the third will expand the assistance given to refugees and vulnerable migrants.

The EU needs effective partners. It’s in Europe’s best interest to work together with the countries in the periphery to develop the right tools and training, all of the aspects that could improve the way they work along their borders.

The scope of the cooperation is far reaching, with the long term in sight. Last September, the EU signed agreements with Morocco on Green Growth and Competitiveness for €150m, as well as a Social Protection program worth €100m. New jobs will be created giving support to start-ups, as well as for the provision of financial aid for social protection.

The EU sees Morocco as a key partner in the region, and rightly so. 64,6 % of Morocco’s exports went to the EU, and 56,5% of Morocco’s imports came from the EU. When it comes to addressing challenges such as terrorism and migration, Morocco has earned the title of strategic ally of the EU.

The questions of how to best handle irregular migration and how to stop human trafficking, are in most of EU citizens’ minds. Irregular migration, many people claim, is one of the reasons behind the political swing seen across many countries. This political shift is seen by plenty as worrisome given the rise of populist parties in recent elections.

The discussions regarding migration will continue to be at center stage in the world’s agenda as next month Morocco will host the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration on 10th and 11th of December. The Conference will see the formal adoption of the Global Compact for Migration, as agreed by the UN Member States on July 13^th of this year. The migration agreement could transform the lives more than two hundred million migrants.

On November 28^th, 2018, a conference on ‘Migration in the Mediterranean: Why the EU needs Partners in the Region’ was organized by the Brussels-based NGO, European Foundation for Democracy, in the European Parliament. The conference was hosted by MEP Gérard Deprez (ALDE/BE), Tunne Kelam (EPP/EE) and Geoffrey Van Orden (ECR/UK). It focused on the challenges linked to migration and the existing partnerships between the EU and the countries in the region.

Estonian EPP MEP Tunne Kelam noted that the EU was founded on the free movement of labour, nonetheless he cautioned that a balance had to be found between respecting peoples’ freedom to move, and limits on migration.

“Even Germany found that there are limits,” he said, “Both physical and psychological and that is why we need a regulatory process for migration.”

Belgian Alde MEP, Gerard Deprez, pointed out that Morocco “is one of the most stable countries in the region.” Its strengths could be leveraged to show how its regional neighbors could cooperate more effectively.

“Migration is not a disease but needs to be properly managed,” said Jean-Christopher Filori, head of unit for Maghreb and migration policies at the EU Commission. “It is a joint challenge and one we need to manage together because chaotic and uncontrolled migration is in no-one’s interest. That just plays into the hands of populist political parties and human smugglers.”

Towards the end of the event, a sound reflection came from Ahmed Herzenni, Ambassador at Large on Human Rights. “Migrants are often the most courageous, enterprising people who can enrich society,” he said. It is in this challenging and complex environment that “Europe will not be able tackle this complex issue on its own. Coordination with partners in the region is crucial.”

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Official delegation
The official delegation of the economic mission will be composed of the following ministers and secretaries of state:

• Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Federal Government;
• Geert Bourgeois, MinisterPresident of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Foreign Policy and Real Estate Heritage, Flemish Government;
• PierreYves Jeholet, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for the Economy, Industry, Research, Innovation, Digital, Employment and Training, Walloon Government;
• Pieter De Crem, State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Federal Government;
• Cécile Jodogne, Secretary of State of the Brussels Government responsible for Foreign Trade and Investment, and Minister of the Frenchspeaking Government of Brussels in charge of the Civil Service and Health, Government of Brussels.

Organization
Princely Economic Missions are jointly organized by the three regional trade and investment promotion agencies (Flanders Investment & Trade, Brussels Invest & Export (hub.brussels) ; Agence Wallonne à l’Exportation), the Foreign Trade Agency and the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs.

General framework
Belgium and Morocco are already strong partners on the economic and commercial level. Belgium is the 8th exporting country to Morocco and its 9th customer, and these figures are evolving favorably. However, our exchanges do not yet fully reflect the intensity of the relations that exist, at all levels, between our two countries. Beyond sustained growth, which makes Morocco the « locomotive of North Africa », there are many opportunities for Belgian companies, both large and small and medium-sized. This is certainly the case in sectors such as construction and infrastructure, transport and logistics, agri-food or textiles, but also in the automotive, aeronautics or renewable energies.

Morocco also offers a strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa. This makes it a gateway to the African continent – as Belgium is to Europe. Our companies are closely following Morocco’s efforts to develop its economic relations with sub-Saharan Africa, and are well aware of the role that this country could play as a strategic partner to enable them to deploy in this region of the world. The Princely Economic Mission will therefore also be an opportunity to encourage triangular cooperation towards sub-Saharan Africa. Three pilot projects are already under way with the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, which show that this approach should be pursued.

Registered companies will participate in B2Bs, high-level conferences, seminars, official meetings and networking events. More than twenty contracts and agreements will be signed between Belgian and Moroccan partners.

Political meetings
Princess Astrid and the ministerial delegation will be received by the Head of the Moroccan Government Mr. Saad-Eddine El Otmani. During the week, they will also meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Nasser Bourita, and a number of other ministers in the government.

Trade relations between Belgium and Morocco
In 2017, Belgium accounted for 4% of European exports to Morocco (6th place), for an amount of nearly 900 million euros. The main categories of products exported by our country to Morocco are base metals, machinery, equipment and chemicals. On the import side, Belgium represents 2.2% of Morocco’s imports from the European Union (€333 million, 7th position). In 2017, the main products imported from Morocco were chemicals, food products and textiles.

Business & Human Rights
As part of the commitments of the Belgian National Action Plan « Business & Human Rights », a seminar will be organised on women’s entrepreneurship. A memorandum of cooperation will be signed on this occasion between the Belgian and Moroccan networks of women entrepreneurs.

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For an example of the latter you really should seek out La Kasbah, a fine Moroccan restaurant located at the very heart of Brussels but serving food that would not be out of place in Marrakesh or Rabat.

In recent years, the number of Moroccan restaurants has multiplied in Brussels but, even so, it’s good to come across a place whose reputation for serving genuinely authentic traditional cuisine remains undimmed.

This place, located a few metres from the Bourse, first opened 25 years ago and, if anything, its popularity is stronger than ever.

The reason is simple: it doesn’t rely on any “quick fix” in offering good quality Moroccan food.

For example, the tajines – that great Moroccan dish – is  individually cooked, over a flame, in the same ceramic utensil in which it’s served to diners.

This compares with some Moroccan restaurants  which are given to cooking tajine “in bulk” (that is, in large quantities) and then re-heating it. The difference is crucial as the “Kasbah way” means that the flavours and taste of this lovely dish are not lost but, rather, retained for you to enjoy in full.

It is a small, but nonetheless important, “secret” of the success that has sustained this restaurant for a quarter of a century.

The tajines here, as you might expect, is among the favourites with customers. Particularly popular are the tajine of kefta and tajine with chicken, lemon and olives, both extremely yummy.

Another best seller, of course, is the couscous which is served in different varieties and a nice choice of accompanying meats.

Those who come here with a particularly huge appetite might be tempted to plump for another impressive dish: the Kasbah Royal consisting of oriental sausage, chicken, lamb stew and lamb kebab (just about all the meats found on the menu!) – a real treat but, beware, one that’s also likely to fill you for the rest of the day.

As well as tajines and couscous, there’s a good choice of grilled dishes available, each served with jacket potato and salad, plus some great Moroccan starters such as “brick” (a kind of rice galette) with either tuna, eggs or oriental sausage. Another recommendation – and another Moroccan tradition – among the starters is chicken pastille (like a samosa).

If you’re unsure what to opt for try the meze, a great combo of different things and served as a starter or mains.

If you happen to be in the area during the day, there’s also a very good value-for-money lunch option, priced a mere €14.90.

Considering the sheer quality of the food, though, the prices of everything here (starters from just €7.90, for example,) are extremely reasonable.  There are special formulas for groups and look out also for a great selection of wine, including a very full-bodied, and very tasty, Moroccan wine.

The portions are generous and, if necessary, the friendly and welcoming staff will pack any leftovers for you to take home.

The restaurant was launched by Frederic Nicolay and, while he has since passed on the reigns, his spirit lives on, along with the remarkable collection of multi-coloured, stained glass lanterns dangling from the ceiling – all 120 of them!

Adding to the wonderfully atmospheric ambience are the series of black and white photographs, which adorn the walls, of famous Maghreb personalities.

Nothing is left to chance and each table comes complete with a special candle which serves to add to the cosy surroundings, particularly in the evening.

This bistro-style restaurant is located in arguably the most bustling part of the city and very close to excellent transport connections. Dining here on a Friday or Saturday evening is especially colourful as you will be greeted and entertained by oriental dancers.

There is nothing pretentious here – don’t come expecting crisp napkins or white tablecloths – but its main asset is the thing that matters most when eating out – the food.

On this front, like the “exotic” and very creative surroundings, you will not be disappointed. It’s easy to see why, after all this time, this place remains a “must visit” on this city’s culinary scene.

GOOD TO KNOW:

• La Kasbah
• Antoine Dansaertstraat 20, Brussels
• 02 502 4026
• https://lakasbahresto.be

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Last year, I crossed her during two conferences she organised at the European Parliament: in March on interfaith relations and in November on media in Africa. I was impressed by the personality of this liberal-minded feminist, her energy, dedication, and effectiveness. At the beginning of this year, she registered her NGO « Organisation Internationale des Médias Africains » in Belgium and rented an apartment at Place Luxembourg. As a consequence, she commuted regularly between Brussels and Casablanca.

I intended to meet her this week. She was not showing up and I contacted a common friend who informed me of the following nightmare.

She had left Brussels for Morocco for a few days. On Tuesday, 29 May, she took the 17.45 Ryanair return flight from Rabat to Belgium. When she arrived at 22.45 in Charleroi, she was immediately arrested, her mobile phone and papers confiscated and put in a cell. It was declared that her multiple entry visa, valid up to the end of 2019, was no longer accepted – the reasons could not be revealed.

The following day, she was transported to the detention Centre « Centre Caricole » in Steenokkerzeel besides Zaventem airport. Since then she is detained in a room with five other women. When our common friend brought her food, it was rejected by the administration – only some chocolate and some dates were allowed. When she wanted to contact a lawyer, she could only send an email after having transmitted the content beforehand to the ministry.

Why is this international women’s activist who is in charge of a Brussels-based media NGO in that detention centre – without any mobile phone and free email access to the outside world?

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