This development is due to the simultaneous increase in sales of food industry (+19.9%) and those of agriculture, forestry and hunting (+11.4%), said the Office, which has published its monthly indicators of foreign trade for 2022.

For their part, exports of textiles and leather have increased by 20.7% in 2022, a development attributable mainly to the increase in sales of ready-made garments (+21.9%), hosiery (+12.5%) and footwear (+32%).

This increase concerns sales of the construction segment (+40%), those of the wiring one (+28.9%) and, to a lesser extent, those of the segment of vehicle interiors and seats (+3.7%), says the Office, which has published its monthly indicators of foreign trade in the year 2022.

At the end of 2022, the automotive sector is positioned as the second best export sector behind phosphates and derivatives, notes the Office.

Speaking at a press briefing held after the Government Council, Baïtas said that "control is intensified to limit all practices that hamper the normal functioning of markets."

In addition, the customs duties applied to imports of soft and hard wheat, and cotton, in high demand during the month of Ramadan, will continue to be suspended, while a ninth tranche of exceptional support for transport professionals will be granted, he said.

Regarding red meat, the Minister said that the import duties applicable to this substance have been respected, in addition to the suspension of value added tax, "to quickly supply the market, which could be reflected in prices.”

Job creation in this sector comes mainly from the branch of accommodation and catering (+46,000), trade (+36,000), administrative and support services (+34,000) and transport and storage (+25,000), said the High Commission for Planning, which has published a briefing note on the situation of the labor market in 2022.

The sector of "Industry including handicrafts" has, for its part, created 28,000 jobs (16,000 in urban areas and 12,000 in rural areas). These jobs created are mainly from craft activities (26,000 jobs).

The sector of "agriculture, forestry and fisheries" has, for its part, lost 215,000 jobs at national level, 205,000 in rural areas and 10,000 in urban areas.

As for the building and public works sector, it has lost 1,000 jobs, resulting in a creation of 8,000 jobs in urban areas and a loss of 9,000 in rural areas.

This multidimensional approach is able to address the challenges of peace and security in Africa, the diplomat told MAP after the adoption by the AU PSC of the "Tangier Declaration".

The AU PSC which adopted the Declaration of the AU Conference on the promotion of the link between peace, security and development in Africa, entitled ''Tangier Declaration'', decided to submit it for consideration and adoption by the 36th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for mid-February in Addis Ababa.

Morocco hosted, on October 25-27, 2022, the first AU Political Conference on Promoting the Link between Peace, Security and Development in Africa in Tangier, recalled Arrouchi, noting that this inaugural conference, organized in partnership with the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union, with the assistance of other partners, provided a platform to explore the interdependencies between peace, security and development.

The Kingdom, as part of its chairmanship of the AU PSC in September 2019, has, in fact, distinguished itself by organizing a ministerial meeting on the theme "Interdependence between Peace, Security and Development: Towards a collective commitment to action", on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which had been chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, stressed the Moroccan diplomat.

This situation results from a creation of 150,000 jobs in urban areas and a loss of 174,000 in rural areas, said the High Commission for Planning, which has published an information note on the situation of the labor market in 2022.

By type of employment, 136,000 paid jobs have been created, resulting in a creation of 161,000 jobs in urban areas and a loss of 25,000 in rural areas, the same source said.

The unpaid employment has, for its part, experienced a decline of 160,000 positions, due mainly to the decline of this type of employment in rural areas of 150,000 positions.

Regarding the activity rate, it fell between 2021 and 2022 by 0.8 point to 44.3%. This decline is the result of an increase in the population of working age (15 years and over) of 1.4% and a decrease in the working population of 1%.

During a conference, organized at the initiative of the partners of the "LPA-CGR avocats" firm with the OHADA Africa Commission of the Paris Bar, Rahhou gave, before an audience composed of French lawyers and jurists, an overview of the genesis of the market economy in Morocco, as well as the regulatory developments.

Rahhou highlighted the role of the Competition Council, a constitutional institution with decision-making power in the fight against anti-competitive practices and control of economic concentration operations, recalling the efforts made by the Kingdom in regulatory matters to further establish the rule of law in the business world.

As a cross-cutting regulator, the Competition Council was strengthened in 2011 with the constitutional reform, and in order to allow a true independence, it has been transformed into a constitutional body and guarantor of freedom of enterprise, freedom to invest, protection of the investor and consumer, he explained.

Because of its existence, as a constitutional body, it is placed under the direct supervision of HM the King, and is independent of the administration and government, said Rahhou.

Speaking at a press briefing held after the Government Council, Baïtas said that the number of beneficiaries of this program has reached 168,256 people and that the number of complete files amounted to 73,000.

He added that a total of 40,645 projects have benefited from support from the incubators and that some 13,000 project holders have been funded.

According to the Minister, the projects funded have focused mainly on services (31%), trade (22%), tourism and crafts (17%), agriculture (16%), innovation and technology (4%) and energy, logistics and environment (2%).

Baitas said that the proportion of projects funded in urban areas has reached 80%, against 20% in rural areas.

This rate went from 5.0% to 5.2% (+0.2 point) in rural areas and from 16.9% to 15.8% in urban areas (-1.1 point), says the High Commission for Planning, which has published an information note on the situation of the labor market in 2022.

Indeed, the number of unemployed decreased by 66,000 people between 2021 and 2022, from 1,508,000 to 1,442,000 jobless, which corresponds to a decline of 4%, notes the HCP.

This decline is the result of a decrease of 70,000 jobless people in urban areas and an increase of 4,000 in rural areas, explains the same source.

Unemployment rate increased by 0.4 point to 17.2% for women and decreased by 0.6 point to 10.3% for men.

A few minutes after the opening, the MASI 20, which includes the 20 most liquid stocks, gained 0.26% to 835.08 pts and the MASI ESG, an index of companies with the best ESG rating, rose 0.27% to 791.05 pts.