Morocco’s Alcohol Regulations Spark Debate as Retailers Push for Reform

This text is subject to significant criticism from the operators of alcoholic beverage outlets. They consider it "a curiosity in the national legal arsenal that is starting to pose a problem," reports L’Economiste.

A special commission from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) has recently carried out unannounced visits to alcoholic beverage outlets (grocery stores, restaurants, cabarets, nightclubs, bars...). The objective is to verify in particular compliance with regulatory provisions and the payment of taxes on beverage outlets.

On these occasions, the managers of the inspected establishments were questioned about the recruitment of female staff. Indeed, any woman must submit an application for a license to the police, accompanied by an anthropometric record, a criminal record extract, two photos, the husband’s authorization, the divorce or the certificate of celibacy before being authorized to work in a bar, clearly indicates the 1967 decree.

These visits also allowed the control commission to note the absence of certain managers from their establishments. However, it is an obligation for the license holder to be present at his workplace.

For their part, the bar owners are outraged by certain provisions of the text, in particular the closure of establishments in the event of imprisonment of the owner. Similarly, the obligation for the alcohol license holder to be associated with a manager (in the case of limited liability companies or sole proprietorships) up to 34% of the business capital is not to the liking of these operators because of the disputes that arise between the two parties.