By Loubna Flah
By Loubna Flah
Morocco World News
Casablanca, September 27, 2012
According to the Moroccan daily Le Soir, textile manufacturers foresee dire prospects for the sector and clothing for the third semester of the current year.
The High Commission for Planning (HCP) conducted a survey among industry professionals and investors and the results are not reassuring.
Industry experts predict a decrease in the performance of the textile sector during the third semester of the current year. Export figures do not contradict these predictions. Indeed, exports of textiles decreased noticeably during the last two months. The office of exchange reported a downturn of 1.9% in July and by 2.8% in August in the manufacturing of clothes.
Nevertheless, the president of Textiles and Clothing Association, Mr. Mohamed Tazi, asserts in an interview with Le Soir that the industry is tending towards a slow recovery despite the difficult economic conjuncture.
Mr. Tazi contradicts the HCP predictions on the volume of exports. He reaffirms that the producers were experiencing high demand that would boost national production for the three forthcoming months whereas other stakeholders describe the level of demand as normal.
Nonetheless, Mr. Tazi asserts that the difficult conjuncture forces industry professionals to accept lower prices which accounts for the decline anticipated by the HCP.
Mohammed Mounjid, an economics expert considers that the sluggish performance of this sector is the logical outcome of inconsistent reforms implemented by the government.
He suggests the implementation of more comprehensive reforms taking into account the contribution of this sector in assuring stable foreign currency inflow as well as job opportunities.
On the other hand, Mr. Tazi highlights a positive performance at the level of the domestic market, enhanced mainly by the beginning of the school year as well as the upcoming Eid.
Textiles and clothing is one of the key manufacturing sectors in Morocco. The European Union remains Morocco’s top trading partner for textiles and clothing, with France importing 46% of hosiery, 28.5% of basic textiles and 27.6% of ready-to-wear.
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