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Weekly highlights

Fuel, vegetables, meat... Bubbling prices!

F UEL prices at the pump Export of Fruits and Vegetables (FI-
FEL). “Tomatoes are sold at 3.50
resumed their surge at ser-
Dirhams per kilo on the wholesale
vice stations. This increase
did not leave MPs unmoved, who market. Consumers buy them at 12
demanded explanations from the Dirhams. It is speculation by inter-
Minister of Energy Transition and mediaries which is at the origin of
Sustainable Development. Leila this increase”, specifies Ahmed
Benali’s response was not to the Mouflih, Executive Director of the
liking of the elected members of FIFEL, in a declaration granted to
the First Chamber. «Fuel prices do L’Economiste.
not fall within the prerogatives of The situation is such that the Wali,
my Ministry”, replied the Minister, Secretary General of the Interior
during last Monday’s session in the Ministry, Mohamed Fawzy, held a
House of Representatives. Leila meeting last Tuesday in Rabat with
Benali’s statement aroused the an- representatives of several depart-
ger of MPs. This Wednesday, the prices as the month of Ramadan impact on the price of food pro- ments. The watchword was clear:
posted prices remained very high. approaches. ducts? Will the consumer benefit ensure price control and monitoring
Their domino effect on food pro- For the president of FNAC, the from these measures or will these of the supply of the markets with
ducts is remarkable. In Casablanca, Government must “find a solution measures only benefit the profes- essential food products, particu-
the price of tomatoes varies from to protect the purchasing power of sionals? larly those most consumed during
10 to 12 Dirhams. Onions were not consumers”. “These measures will only bene- the month of Ramadan. According
spared. They are sold at 10 or even Faced with soaring prices, the Go- fit their beneficiaries who will get to the authorities, “measures will
12 Dirhams per kilo. The price of vernment brandishes the card of richer”, replied the president of the be taken at the level of the regions,
potatoes, the most popular product, subsidies granted to transport pro- National Federation of Consumer prefectures, and provinces, to in-
is also experiencing a meteoric rise. fessionals, the suspension of cus- Associations. The impact on the tensify the quality control of food
Red meats are no exception. The toms duties, as well as the exemp- consumer, he added, is not actually products and their prices, in order
price per kilo in butcher shops is tion from VAT for the import of palpable. to deal with practices that harm
well over 100 Dirhams. cattle, these measures being sup- So how to act? In this field, two citizens”. Thus, joint local commis-
The situation is described as criti- posed to supply the local market but options do emerge. First, ensuring sions will be set up to control food
cal by the National Federation of also to curb this uptrend. However, control over the intermediaries. The products, supervised by the walis or
Consumer Associations (FNAC). these measures remain vain, to date. latter are pointed out in particular governors. o
This organization does not hide Questions then arise: will these by the Moroccan Interprofessional Khadija SKALLI
its concern about a new surge in government decisions have a real Federation for the Production and

Friday 10 February 2023