Moroccan Trade Union Calls for 20% Increase in Transport Prices

The Tangier-based Moroccan Association of Transport and Logistics (AMTL) has called on its members to increase their transport fees by 20%.

Rabat – The Tangier-based Moroccan Association of Transport and Logistics (AMTL) has called on its members to increase their transport fees by 20%.

If implemented, citizens would pay MAD 15 ($1.60) where they are now paying MAD 12 ($1.20) for taxi fares.

The AMTL, which works under the National Federation of Multimodal Transport (FNTM) and the Federation of Transport and Logistics, said the request is to “offset the rise in the price of diesel.”

With gas prices having recently reached MAD 11($1.17) per liter, the association argued that the tariffs hitherto in force have stagnated since 2015 after the Moroccan government terminated its policy of subsidizing fuel prices.

AMTL’s statement caused an uproar among citizens, with many taking to social media to condemn both the trade union’s call while pre-empting similar moves from other groups that may request an increase in the prices of food commodities, including cooking oil.

Last week, Morocco’s Democratic Confederation of Labor also denounced price inflation. The federation organized a nationwide protest to condemn the government’s decision to impose a mandatory vaccine pass as well as price inflation.

The federation condemned the increase in the prices of daily used products, including cooking oil.

In December 2021, the Moroccan Competition Council argued that the rise in cooking oil prices is due to reliance on imported oil raw materials amid a shortage in locally produced oilseeds.

Last month, Morocco’s High Commission for Planning (HCP) acknowledged a marked increase in food prices. HCP shared data from 2020, showing that 96.2% of households reported an increase in food prices, while 78.6% of households lamented the ongoing increase in food prices.

Amid the fallout of the pandemic, many citizens have been taking to social media to protest against the continued increase in commodities prices.

Some netizens have even called for boycotting products including gas, with the Arabic hashtag “no to increase in prices in Morocco” trending on Twitter.