Rabat – Morocco’s National Port Agency (ANP) projected that port-related shipping activities are set to reach 92.8 million tons in 2022, up 2.4% from 2021.
Port activities showed strong signs of recovery at the end of 2021 with traffic reaching 83.1 million tons over November 2021, down by only 1.8% in a year-to-year comparison, according to the yearly ANP council meeting.
Chaired by Morocco’s Water and Sanitation Minister, Nizar Baraka, the council meeting, held in December 2021, focused on the management of the 2022 budget.
Supported by the agency’s digitization process and investment optimization strategy, the agency’s net revenues in 2022 are projected to exceed MAD 2.2 billion ( $237,3 million), up by 2.3% from 2021 figures, announced Laraki.
The ANP has accelerated the process of digitization in recent years as part of a border vision to optimize the efficiency of services.
Relying on innovation to achieve rapid digitization, the agency launched a first-of-its-kind program titled ‘Smart Port Challenge.’ The initiative aims to attract individuals, businesses, or universities capable of providing cost-efficient solutions to meet challenges within the port-shipping sector.
The challenge comprises three pillars relating to sustainability, logistical performance, and service optimization.
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Morocco is dedicating special efforts to the development of national ports as part of a large-scale strategy to enhance infrastructure and boost Morocco’s image as a trade and manufacturing hub.
Morocco’s Tangier MedPort became the largest port in Africa and the Mediterranean sea in 2021. The success of the port prompted the government to approve the construction of MedPort 2, a state-of-the-art facility for cargo shipping.
In the south of Morocco, the construction of another Mega port is due to finish in 2026. The $1.4 billion (MAD 12,9 billion) project is projected to attract investments and contribute to the socio-economic development of Morocco’s southern regions.
With its grand infrastructure projects, Morocco aims to consolidate its status as an economic ‘gateway’ to Africa and to attract businesses looking to establish a strong foothold in Africa and to export to European and American markets.
