 The Chairman of the Special Commission on the Development Model (CSMD), Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, highlighted, Wednesday, the major economic role that the southern provinces of the Kingdom are called to play under the New Development Model (NMD).
"This region could become a leading economic hub between northern Morocco, Europe and the rest of the African continent," he said at an international webinar, organized by the British think tank "Chatham House" (Middle East and North Africa Program) in collaboration with the CSMD, under the theme "Morocco's NMD: Ambitions for 2035.
Responding to a question on the place given by the NMD to the southern provinces, Mr. Benmoussa said that the Kingdom has invested heavily in its Sahara, highlighting the substantial and all-round development that this part of the national territory has experienced since 1975.
"Today, this region enjoys security, is equipped with infrastructure and knows a real political process with elections held regularly," he said, while advocating for more private investment in these provinces.
And Mr. Benmoussa stressed that the recognition by the United States of America of the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara will help attract private investment and improve investment in infrastructure, adding that more and more European investors want to invest in the southern provinces.
"Several companies are already installed there and we invite other interested companies to visit the southern provinces and learn about the opportunities offered by the development of this region," said the president of the CSMD, who mentioned several projects, including the port of Dakhla Atlantic, a mega project that tends to confirm the African anchorage of the Kingdom, or those dedicated to renewable energy and water desalination.
In addition to Mr. Benmoussa, the webinar was attended by CSMD members, including Michael Zaoui and Leila Benali, as well as the founder and president of the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, Mohamed Masbah.
The virtual meeting, organized for international experts, focused on Morocco's development trajectory and the main findings of the CSMD's comprehensive report.
It also gave rise to a reflection on the centrality of human capital in the dynamics of development, the role of regional and international partners in the economic take-off of the Kingdom and the levers of change to promote the new vision of development desired by Morocco under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI.
-News on Western Sahara/Corcas
|