Morocco Protests Erupt as Citizens Demand Government Action on Rising Costs

Several consumer associations, including the National Federation of Consumer Associations (FNAC) and the Moroccan Federation of Consumer Rights (FMDC), organized movements to ask the government to take its responsibilities in the face of rising prices. Yet, officially, inflation in Morocco is 1.7%, a rate well below the global average of 3.9%, reports Maroc Diplomatique.

These organizations want to "overturn corruption and create a society of dignity, social justice and equality for all," they chanted during the demonstrations. For its part, the government, through the voice of the delegate minister in charge of the budget, Fouzi Lekjaa, had announced last week that it plans to increase subsidies to maintain stable bread prices from 1.3 billion dirhams in a normal year to 3.844 billion dirhams expected this year.

To read: Morocco Braces for Potential Protests as Cost of Living Soars

Lekjaa deplored the rise in cereal prices, particularly soft wheat, on the international market since the start of the pandemic, reaching $315 per tonne this year compared to $290 last year, while the reference price of soft wheat in Morocco has been capped at 260 dirhams per quintal. This situation has worsened with the Ukrainian crisis, Lekjaa added.