Dozens of demonstrators at a protest in Rabat chanted slogans denouncing the “high cost of living” and “marginalization.”
Some of the slogans of the February 20 Movement were also raised, such as “overthrowing tyranny and corruption” and “freedom, dignity, and social justice,” according to Agence France-Presse.
Dozens of people also demonstrated in Casablanca (west) and Tangiers (north), according to videos on social media, in response to the call of the “Social Front”, which includes left-wing opposition parties.
After restoring economic growth last year at a rate of 6.3 percent, the government of Aziz Akhannouch has recently faced social anger due to high prices, in addition to fears of deteriorating conditions in light of a severe drought that threatens a weak return on the agricultural sector, the most important in Morocco’s GDP.
The hashtag “Akhnoush, leave” and “No to high prices” were issued on Twitter in recent days in the Kingdom.
Parliamentary opposition parties and consumer protection associations have recently called on the government to take urgent measures to protect purchasing power and control prices.
For his part, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, Fawzi Lekjaa, said Thursday that the price hike is “related to the current international situation,” noting in particular to “the steady rise in the prices of grains and petroleum products on the international market.”
He pointed out that the government has stopped extracting customs duties on wheat imports, and has increased subsidies for the price of flour to nearly $400 million this year, which is one of Morocco’s basic consumer items.
He also stressed the authorities’ keenness to combat price speculation.
In a weekly market on the outskirts of the city of Kenitra (north of Rabat), “opportunistic behavior and unusual speculation in the prices of some materials” caused “arguments” and “stones were thrown”, local authorities told the Moroccan News Agency.
She indicated that an investigation had been opened into the accident, which was circulated in a video documenting it on social media and local media.
Morocco subsidized fuel prices until 2015, and the lifting of subsidies that burden the public budget was accompanied by the adoption of a direct financial aid system for needy families, but it has not yet seen the light.
Social disparities are a major dilemma in the Kingdom, according to several reports in recent years, and have been deepened by the economic repercussions of the pandemic.
In order to get out of this predicament, Morocco is betting in particular on raising public and private investment, to achieve a growth rate of more than 6 percent annually by the year 2035.