MAP
Rabat – The central committee of Moroccan shipowners, known by its French acronym CLAM, called for an immediate intervention by the government to save the national maritime sector following the sequestration of two Moroccan ferries in the southern French port of Sète by maritime authorities.
“If no measure is taken by competent authorities, the Kingdom risks losing all maritime means to transport over 70 million tons of goods as part of its foreign trade as well as 4 million passengers,” the Committee said in a statement, of which MAP obtained a copy on Sunday.
The national maritime sector employs 5000 people and posts an annual turnout of 4 billion dirhams, the same source said.
The Moroccan ferries transport around 660,000 vehicles annually and 2.5 Moroccans living abroad who prefer maritime transportation to regain the Kingdom given their cheap price and quality of services.
CLAM warned that foreign maritime companies may take advantage of such a situation to monopolise passenger transportation.
“ It is necessary for Morocco to ensure, using its own means, the transportation of a part of its foreign exchange as well as the Moroccan Living Abroad,” CLAM said, stressing the need for Morocco to set up a new maritime policy in order to be better positioned to compete with foreign companies notably after the liberalization of the sector in 2007.
The ferries of Comarit and Comanav, “Biladi” and “Marrakech” respectively, which secured the Tangier-Sète maritime link, were sequestered on Friday by French authorities due to outstanding claims leaving around 400 Moroccan passengers stranded in the southern French port.
All Moroccan Passengers Stranded Following Sequestration Of A Ferry In Sète Port Sailed To Morocco – Minister
08 January 2012
Rabat, January 8 –
All the passengers left stranded in the French port of Sète (south) after authorities sequestered the Tangier-bound ferry “Bilady” due to outstanding claims have embarked towards Morocco on Saturday, Minister Delegate in Charge of the Moroccans Living Abroad, Abdellatif Maazouz said.
Speaking to MAP, the Minister said that Moroccan Consulate intervened in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and the Equipment and Transport Ministry to assist the passengers after the seizure of the ferry supposed to take them to Morocco, a decision that was taken following a sequester of property notice.
Maazouz said that his department has created an emergency committee to avoid the recurrence of such a problem in the future.
The Minister added that Comarit the company that owns the ferry has paid the third of its outstanding claims which amount to 3 million euros before the sequestering of property.
Some 400 Moroccans who intended to travel to Tangier on board Bilady were left stranded on Friday in the maritime station of Sète.
