Morocco Debates Alcohol Policy: Tax Hike vs. Prohibition Calls

The deputies of the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) are in favor of increasing the tax on all types of alcohol. Others are calling rather for measures to ban alcohol and cigarettes, as some countries already do, stressing that the increasing consumption of these products threatens public health and "represents a burden on the state budget".

As part of the mobilization of additional revenue for the general state budget, the Moroccan government is considering increasing the amount of the domestic consumption tax applied to wines, beers and spirits. The 2024 Finance Bill (PLF) provides for an increase from 850 to 1,500 dirhams per hectolitre for wines and liqueurs and from 1,150 to 2,000 dirhams per hectolitre for beers. The document also provides for an increase from 18,000 to 30,000 dirhams per hectolitre for pure alcohol used to produce brandy, liqueurs, aperitifs, etc.

The marketing of alcohol has been a big moneymaker for the Moroccan state for several years. In 2021, revenue from alcohol sales increased by nearly 400 million dirhams.