Rabat – Morocco’s government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas, confirmed on Thursday that the government will continue to subsidize cooking gas, and dismissed any possibility that it would stop anytime soon.
Baitas’s comments come as Moroccan residents have recently seen a rise in the prices of essentials, including cooking gas and food, driven largely by the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The government has no intention to stop subsidizing gas,” Baitas said during a press conference. “It is currently subsidizing it through the compensation fund, and is aware of the importance of this material in the day-to-day life of citizens.”
Baitas said the government would continue the subsidies in spite of rising global prices, citing that the gas prices specifically have more than doubled in recent months.
The spokesperson also stated that the country’s gas reserves can last for about a month on average.
Calls to subsidize products and support certain sectors have been amplified in recent weeks by those affected by the price hikes.
The National Federation of Owners, Traders, and Managers of Service Stations recently called for state support to offset the effects of rising fuel prices, citing that the sector has lost money because of it.
Morocco announced today that it will start a campaign to encourage companies to use less electricity, as part of the campaign to combat the rising fuel prices.
The measures can save up to 675 gigawatt hours a year, or MAD 740 million ($75.7 million) in fuel costs, according to The National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE).
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