Rabat Restaurant Owners Protest High Public Space Fees, Threaten Boycott

In the presence of the Central Bureau of the National Association of Cafes and Restaurants, professionals in the sector condemned this "random and improvised" decision of the Rabat city council, which sets amounts up to 525 dirhams per square meter in the Agdal and Souissi neighborhoods of Rabat, reports L’Opinion.

To express their discontent, café and restaurant professionals plan not to pay these taxes, also calling on association members to refrain from paying them. According to them, this decision is "impossible to implement", due to the "hidden" motivations of the city council which "voted it without discussing it with the professionals and without consulting the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services".

This is a "direct blow to the constitutional document which stipulates the participatory approach, and contrary to the royal will, because His Majesty has requested the implementation of the recommendations of the last national tax conference held in Skhirat," criticized the association in a statement published on Saturday, inviting its various branches to support that of Rabat against this decision.

While the measure is legal and in accordance with the regulations in force, it is nevertheless "unfair", notes Noureddine El Harrak, president of the said association, explaining that professionals in the sector continue to face the adverse effects of the health crisis. "The vast majority of owners currently do not have the means to pay such high taxes. We demand a dialogue with the authorities in order to reach a compromise," he said.