Moroccan Restaurants Face Crisis as New COVID-19 Restrictions Take Effect

In a letter addressed to the Head of Government, the representative associations gathered within the Moroccan Confederation of Food Trades have demanded more details about this decision described as "drastic or even deadly for franchises, restaurants and cafes". They want to know if fast food, home delivery and take-out products, and hotel restaurants are also affected by this decision. According to the promoters, fast food is important for citizens living in large cities.

For the Moroccan Confederation of Food Trades, 30% of businesses nationwide have been ordered to close their business while others are suffering and no longer know where to turn. They also want to know how the government will support these companies in maintaining their survival and fulfilling their commitments to employees, landlords, banks, suppliers... and the State itself.

Faced with this critical situation, they have proposed that the State exclude restaurants that do not serve alcoholic beverages. These associations also want the government to allow cafes and restaurants to operate until 8 p.m., with delivery, drive-through and take-out activities, which must comply with health measures to counter the coronavirus.

Greatly affected by these new measures, Chakib Alj, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) has called on the government not to "make certain sectors bear the economic cost of health restrictions". In this regard, he pleads for the government to put in place "economic support measures for companies operating in these sectors and forced to close by administrative decision".