Casablanca Authorities Crack Down on Illegal Café Terraces, Owners Protest

The local authorities of Moulay Rachid, in Casablanca, have summoned the owners of cafes and restaurants to free the public domain on which they have erected their terraces, in violation of the texts in force. The owners concerned say they do not understand the reasons that motivated this decision of the local authorities, claiming that they pay taxes for the exploitation of the public domain. They are preparing to file a request for an audience with the governor of the prefecture of Moulay Rachid to get more explanations.

The measure would aim to standardize the facades and widen certain main streets, according to certain rumors. Pending the official reasons, "some café and restaurant owners have started to remove the terraces in the Hay Sadri area and on the Avenue des Forces Auxiliaires before the launch of the campaign on the ground planned, in anticipation of an intensification of this action in the coming days," said the president of the Moroccan Association of Café and Restaurant Owners of the Casablanca-Settat region.

The official insisted that "the majority of professionals refuse to remove the outdoor fronts in the absence of communication with the parties concerned," adding that "it is inconceivable for cafes or restaurants to remove the terraces, as all establishments worldwide are known for their outdoor fronts, knowing that employers pay their monthly obligations related to the exploitation of the public domain to the competent authorities."