Anger is growing in Morocco, where rising food and fuel prices are weighing on households. Several demonstrations have taken place to demand reform, as well as to denounce corruption.
A recent rise in fuel and food prices is sparking anger in Morocco, where demonstrations took place Sunday against the cost of living and in commemoration of the so-called “February 20” protest movement.In Rabat, dozens of demonstrators denounced the “high cost of living” as well as “despotism and corruption”.
They also called for “freedom, dignity and social justice” and chanted other slogans from the 2011 “February 20 Movement,” Morocco’s version of the Arab Spring that called for reforms, more democracy and less corruption.Dozens of people also demonstrated in Casablanca (west) and Tangier (north), according to videos posted on social networks, in response to the call of the “Social Front”, which includes left-wing opposition parties.
After restoring economic growth in 2021 to a rate of 6.3%, the government of Aziz Akhannouch is facing the anger of the street due to a rise in prices.The authorities are also facing a severe drought that is affecting the kingdom, while its economy is highly dependent on the agricultural sector, which contributes 14% of GDP.The keywords #Akhannouchdégage and #No to high prices have been trending on Twitter in recent days.
Opposition parties and consumer associations have recently called on the government to take urgent action to protect purchasing power.The Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy, in charge of the budget, Fouzi Lekjaa, said this week that “the rise in prices of some consumer goods” was “mainly due to the unexpected economic recovery in the world and the continued increase in prices of cereals and oil products on the international market.
“The state should allocate […] 3.8 billion dirhams (more than 350 million euros) until the end of 2022” to subsidize the price of flour, he added.On Sunday, clashes took place on a rural market near the city of Kenitra (north) following “unusual speculation in the prices of some consumer products,” said local authorities, according to the MAP news agency.The authorities intervened to restore order and an investigation was opened on these incidents, according to the same source.
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