Morocco
Morocco's long struggle for independence from France ended in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier was turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997.
There are currently no known threats to visitors or expatriate personnel in Morocco, but travel to the contested Western Sahara regions were a referendum on the future of the area has been delayed since 1992, should be avoided.
King Hassan II, ruler of Morocco since 1961, died on July 23, 1999, and was succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI. The new King is believed to be an advocate of economic reform and political liberalization, but to date the record has been mixed at best.
As of early 2002, the decades-old dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Liberation Front over the Western Sahara continues. A referendum on the future of the territory, a former Spanish colony which has rich phosphate deposits, was scheduled for January 1992 under U.N. auspices, but has yet to be held. In December 1999, the U.N. Security Council voted to keep the U.N. mission in Western Sahara through February 2000. On February 18, 2000, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that the core problem of determining who is eligible to vote on the question of independence for the Western Sahara region "could...prevent the holding of the referendum" indefinitely. In January 2001, the Polisario said that it remained in a state of war with Morocco over the Western Sahara. In November 2001, the king made the first visit to the Western Sahara by a Moroccan monarch in 16 years.
Morocco's real gross domestic product is expected to grow by around 2.5%-3% in 2002, down sharply from 7.6% growth in 2001. In 2001, the agricultural sector, which makes up a large share (around 17%-20%) of Morocco's economy and workforce (around 40%-50%), was suffering from the third drought year in a row. Morocco's vulnerability to erratic rainfall patterns, and therefore agricultural output, has encouraged the government in its attempts at economic diversification, particularly towards manufacturing and services (including tourism). Morocco has a strong and growing tourism sector (although this appears to have been set back somewhat in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States, with an estimated 100,000 hotel reservations cancelled as of early December 2001), plus an expanding manufacturing base.
In 2000, an oil and gas discovery (of unknown magnitude) in the Talsint region near the border with Algeria raised hopes that Morocco could add another important asset to its economy, help cut the country's energy import bill (now around $1-$1.5 billion per year) and also attract new investment to the country. In the meantime, however, lower oil import prices (such as in recent months) generally are helpful to Morocco's economy.
Morocco maintains relatively tight fiscal and monetary policies, and this has helped reduce the country's fiscal deficit from 10% of GDP in the 1980s to less than 3% currently. Morocco's inflation rate (consumer prices) is expected to average around 2.5% in 2002, up slightly from 2.0% in 2001. Foreign direct investment (FDI) levels held steady in 2001, at approximately $3 billion. On January 9, 2002, King Mohammed VI announced plans for a series of economic and administrative measures aimed at promoting foreign investment in Morocco.
Morocco's current five-year economic plan, which runs from 1999-2004, calls for promoting job creation (unemployment is a serious problem in Morocco), exports and tourism, accelerating the country's privatization process (as of late 2001, the program -- begun in 1993 -- had largely stalled, although a 35% share in Maroc Telecom was sold off to France's Vivendi), upgrading of infrastructure, and reducing social inequalities (especially between urban rich and rural poor. The government also is considering imposing a value-added tax (VAT), as well as direct taxes on business and individual income. Morocco has pursued an economic reform program supported by significant lending from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) since the early 1980s. This reform program has, at the IMF's urging, liberalized the foreign exchange regime, lowered tariffs and other trade barriers, reformed the banking system, restrained government spending, reduced the foreign debt burden (in part through "debt-for-equity" swaps, in part through refinancing), and encouraged foreign investment (now permitted in most sectors of the economy). Morocco also has signed several agreements with the European Union on economic cooperation, including one establishing a free trade zone for industrial goods over a 12-year transition period. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA), as it is known, came into effect on December 4, 1999, following ratification by both sides.
Morocco traditionally has had almost no energy reserves (although recent oil and gas finds may be about to change this), but does contain the world's largest phosphate reserves, and produces significant amounts of fertilizers and phosphoric acid. Morocco imports around 90% of its energy needs, including significant amounts of oil (about $900 million in 1999) and coal. The government is encouraging increased coal and hydroelectricity production. Coal imports and phosphate exports travel largely through the deepwater port of Jorf Lasfar.
In July 1995, Police in Morocco began enforcing religious laws that prohibit unmarried men and women from being seen together in public. A local media article reported that, "Any couple…walking or conducting business in the street, are likely to be rounded up as illegitimate couples and accused of soliciting prostitution." Police have reportedly become more aggressive, making arrests in or out of uniform and without showing their badges. Arrests are being made even though couples' papers are in order.
In Morocco, as in most Islamic countries it is illegal to promote any religion but Islam. Although most Islamic countries allow the private practice of Christianity and other religions, they do not condone public proselytizing or overt attempts to convert the faithful. Though the authorities pose no danger to missionaries, the real threat of harm may stem from overzealous fundamentalists who, in the heat of the moment, may become violent.
Although rare, security personnel in Morocco may at times place foreign visitors under surveillance. Taking photographs of anything that could be perceived as being of military or security interest may result in problems with authorities.
