Morocco Considers Steep Alcohol Tax Hike to Combat Youth Addiction

"The price of (alcohol) must be high in order not to encourage contraband products and the illegal manufacture of alcohols, which represent a real danger to the health of citizens, as is the case with ’mahia’ (traditional alcohol)," said the delegate minister in charge of the Budget, Fouzi Lekjaa, during a meeting of the finance committee to vote on the amendments to the draft finance law for the year 2024. According to him, the large profit margin between wholesale and restaurant sales, where increases are possible, should be considered. The government proposes that the ICT on wines go from 850 DH to 1,500 DH/hl; from 1,150 DH to 2,000 DH/hl for beers; from 18,000 DH to 30,000 DH/hl for pure alcohol intended to make new products.

Stressing that "the objective of the government is to differentiate the local product from the imported one," he explained that discussions will have to be initiated with the economic actors in the sector, so that a more realistic approach is proposed. Lekjaa assured that the government’s proposal aims "not to push citizens to consume illegal alcohol, and also not to deprive the State of an important resource," because "its impact on health is proven, and the consumption figures are available."

Starting from the observation that alcohols are sold without issuing a receipt to the customer, the president of the parliamentary group of the Party of Justice and Development (PJD), Abdallah Bouanou, calls on the government to require large stores to issue a receipt to anyone buying alcohol. "Regardless of the religious aspect, alcohols are harmful to health and there are studies, even in Europe, confirming their link to cancer and cardiovascular diseases," said PJD MP Mustapha El Ibrahimi, before citing one of the World Health Organization (WHO) reports indicating that Moroccans consume 24.5 liters per year.

This issue "requires a political decision," said Idriss Sentissi, president of the Haraki group, recommending a study to show whether alcohol consumption will decrease if prices increase.