HM the King chairs in Casablanca opening ceremony of the 2nd meeting on industry

Casablanca - HM King Mohammed VI chaired, on Thursday in Casablanca, the opening ceremony of the second meeting on industry.

- Seven partnership and industrial development agreements were signed between the government and economic operators.

- The Sovereign decorated Moroccan and foreign personalities for their contribution to the economic and industrial development of the Kingdom.
    During this ceremony, a video was screened featuring the progress made in the National Pact for Emerging Industries (PNEI 2009-2015), signed on February 13, 2009 in Fez.

    Subsequently, Industry Trade and New Technologies Minister, Ahmed Reda Chami, presented to HM the King the progress made in the implementation of the provisions of the Pact, which is a contract program of 111 measures involving the state and the private sector. These measures, he said, mainly aim at strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs, improving the business climate and promoting training.

    "Morocco has managed to develop and market a competitive offer that meets the needs of investors" in the areas of offshoring, the automobile industry, aeronautics and electronics, the Minister said.

    Speaking on this occasion, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), Mohamed Horani, welcomed the setting up of SME support programs.

    Referring to the 2020 vision of the CGEM, Horani said the goal is to raise the contribution of industrial companies to 550 billion dirhams of GDP by 2020, against 215 billion in 2010 (i.e. 28%).

    For his part, President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, highlighted the relevance of the Moroccan industrial strategy, the choice of Morocco in the industrial and financial fields as well as its considerable efforts in this regard.

    HM the King also presided over the signing ceremony of seven partnership and industrial development agreements between the government and many economic operators.

      The first and second agreements concern the establishment of Nouaceur’s and Tangier’s industrial integrated platforms.

    The third and fourth agreements provide for the creation of a public-private Investment Funds dedicated to financing SMEs, worth 430 million dirhams and 400 million dirhams respectively.

   The fifth agreement concerns the definition of the conditions and modalities of the implementation of this project as well as the commitments of the parties.

    The sixth agreement is related to the setting up of the program on promoting health and safety at work (2011-2014), while the last agreement focuses on the establishment and management of the Automotive Training Institute in the city of Kenitra.

    The Sovereign also decorated several Moroccan and foreign personalities for their contribution to the Kingdom’s industrial and economic development.

    The ceremony was attended by the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament, advisers to HM the King, government members and several Moroccan and foreign economic operators.

HM the King enquires in Fez about upgrading and extension of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah university

Fez - HM King Mohammed VI enquired, Monday in Fez, about the programme for upgrading and extending the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah university, worth about 463 million dirhams.
 - The programme comes in implementation of the 2009-2012 emergency plan for the reform of education and training system

- The Sovereign launches construction works of ENSA-Fez, worth 30 million dirhams
    This integrated programme, which is part of the 2009-2012 emergency plan for the reform of the education and training system, aims at setting up two balanced university hubs, with 26,000 students each, upgrading accommodation structures and replacing prefabricated buildings.

    The programme also provides for the creation of the National School for Applied Sciences (ENSA), whose construction works the Monarch launched, for a budget of 30 million dirhams.

    The ENSA-Fez, to be built on 7,000 square meters, is part of efforts aimed at achieving the goals of the “10,000 engineer initiative” and meeting the regional demand in respect of promoting training in the area of engineering.

     The institution, which is due to be operational by end 2012, will include 28 classrooms, a lecture theater, a building for teaching, an administrative bloc, a cafeteria, and a sports hall.

HM the King visits the injured of Marrakech attack
Marrakech - HM King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Prince Moulay Ismail, visited, on Saturday afternoon, Ibn Tofail and Avicenna military hospitals in Marrakech, where he enquired about the health of the injured of Thursday's terrorist attack that targeted a cafe at Jamaa El-Fna square.
     Seven wounded, including two Moroccans and five French, are hospitalized at Ibn Tofail hospital, while five injured (two Dutch, two French and a Moroccan), are being treated at Avicenna military hospital.

    All medical and logistical facilities have been mobilized to take care of the victims of this attack. A specialized medical staff was also set up to keep the families of victims informed and provide them with the necessary psychological support.

     A free-toll number is also available to the victims’ families.

    HM the King had given his instructions to the Interior and Justice Ministers to carry out diligently a judicial inquiry into this criminal explosion to determine its causes.

     The Sovereign had also given instructions to the Health Minister to provide the injured with all necessary medical care.

    Following this terrorist attack, which left 16 killed and over twenty injured of different nationalities, HM the King had expressed his sincere condolences and compassion to the victims’ families and decided to pay for the burial and funeral of the fatalities.

HM the King visits the scene of Marrakech attack
Marrakech - HM King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Prince Moulay Ismail, visited, on Saturday afternoon, the scene of the attack that took place in Argana café at Jamaa El Fna square in Marrakech, killing 16 people and injuring 25 others.
 - The Sovereign's visit shows his solidarity with the families of the victims in these painful circumstances.

    HM the King had vigorously denounced this criminal attack that caused the death of several innocent victims, and strongly condemned this act, which targeted the city of Marrakech, a symbol of coexistence between religions and civilizations.

    HM the King had said that "such a cowardly criminal aggression, contrary to the noble human values of respect for the sacred right to life, tolerance, freedom and peace, will not affect the determination of Morocco, King and people, to maintain the stability of this country, a peaceful crossroads of all peoples and cultures."

    “This will only strengthen the willingness of Moroccans against all those who want to undermine the model they opted for to promote democratic progress and cooperate with the international community to fight all forms of crime, aggression and terrorism,” the Sovereign had stressed.