Rabat – Manufacturing firms are gradually re-opening their activities in Tangier to revive industrial activity and to prepare for the end of the novel coronavirus crisis.
Some units in the industrial city are already operating. The companies include textile , automotive, and aeronautical companies. The sectors make up the backbone of Morocco’s economy.
Textile factories have been helping the country to meet national demand for face masks amid COVID-19 crisis.
The manufacturing firms continue to operate while respecting the preventative measures recommended by the Ministry of Health to contain the COVID-19 spread.
The managers of manufacturing firms are aware of the risk of contamination and are determined to ensure all measures are guaranteed for the safety of their staff, under the strict control of Moroccan authorities.
The reassurance on preventative measures came in a joint press release from the Association of the Tangier Industrial Zone (AZIT) andthe General Confederation of Moroccan Entreprises (CGEM) of the Tangier- Tetouan Al Hoceima region.
Authorities assess the factories capable of operating so that no unit can work without authorization.
“All of Tangier’s industrial units have therefore gone through these different stages required by the competent authorities,” the press release explained.
The statement explained that production lines for clothing, food, cabling, and the automotive sector are subject to additional measures developed by the Province of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima.
The measures include reducing the workforce by one third and distributing workers over three separate shifts.
Small factories should not allow dozens of workers to work at the same time to ensure their safety.
Units should also install thermal cameras to measure workers’ temperatures at the entrance of factories.
The press release emphasized the importance of the permanent presence of a doctor at workplaces, the implementation of distancing measures in the workplace and in personnel transport vehicles, in addition to the daily disinfection of transport vehicles and workplaces.
The factories should also make available hydrochloric gel and masks for all staff.
Failing to comply with the measures will lead to withdrawal of authorization from the firms, the statement stressed.
The statement acknowledged that the spread of COVID-19 can occur in factories regardless of the strict application of sanitary measures.
On April 16, authorities reported on the emergence of COVID-19 hotspots at industrial units in Tangier and Casablanca. The situation led the Moroccan health ministry to underline the importance of sanitary measures to avoid contamination.
In addition to industrial units, French automotive giant Renault announced its decision to gradually and partially resume its industrial activity on April 17.
In a statement, Renault Maroc said it was preparing its two plants in Tangier and Casablanca “to adapt and adjust production as the market recovers to meet the demand both in Morocco and abroad.”
