Tangier Illegal Party Halls: Tax Evasion and Safety Risks

The phenomenon persists with complete impunity. In the city center as well as in residential neighborhoods, particularly on Ali Bey Street, multiple festive spaces welcome the public without holding any prefectural license. According to the daily newspaper Al Akhbar, this paralysis of public authorities is explained by the profile of certain owners. Institutional officials and influential personalities in the city operate these venues, managing to block the execution of closure orders, some of which were notified as early as last December.

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This clandestine commerce generates a colossal loss of revenue for public coffers. By concealing their actual income, these halls generate millions of dirhams in monthly profits without paying taxes. The installation of these premises is moreover carried out in contempt of law 12.90 on urban planning. Their managers transform simple shops or restaurants into vast reception spaces, completely ignoring procedures for change of activity and circumventing municipal control.

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This circumvention of rules creates major risks for clients. Escaping supervision from the wilaya and Civil Protection, these structures operate without essential facilities. The absence of compliant emergency exits, the lack of fire-fighting equipment and the exceeding of maximum capacity limits constitute a permanent threat. Despite reports from special commissions and repeated complaints from citizens, these establishments continue to operate with assumed indifference.