Morocco Aims to Modernize Ports as Traffic Projected to Grow 2.4% in 2022

Port activity should reach a volume of 92.8 million tons by 2022, an increase of 2.4% compared to the same period a year earlier, said Nadia Laraki, Director of the National Ports Agency, during the Board of Directors of the Agency, chaired by the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka.

To read: Morocco Unveils Plan to Modernize Ports, Boost International Competitiveness

Port traffic had reached a volume of over 83 million tons at the end of November 2021, a decrease of 2% compared to the same period the previous year, she added, specifying that the government plans to invest 2.2 billion dirhams (more than 200 million euros) in the modernization of ports for the 2022-2024 period, including 957.5 million dirhams for the year 2022 (about 90 million euros).

To read: article 79015

For Minister Baraka, port facilities are a key link, "a lever and a pillar for the creation of wealth at the national and regional level", stressing that the National Ports Agency needs "strong and continuous support to be able to succeed in its mission".

In 2022, the Agency will aim to optimize investments as much as possible, accelerate the construction and development processes of the various ongoing projects and strengthen the regulatory laws, said the minister, adding that it will also work towards social and environmental responsibility and the development of smart ports.