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Rabat – Wood manufacturing group, Maroc Akhchab, officially launched operations in their Melloussa factory located in the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region on October 7.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by a number of high-ranking government officials including Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, Wali of the region Mohamed Mhidia, among others.
The wood plant is set to have an overall production capacity of 6,500 square meters per year. It could potentially cover the domestic needs of wood as well as open export to regional markets including Egypt and Iraq.
It is also set to create 250 direct jobs and 650 indirect jobs, the statement specifies.
The factory is part of a government initiative aiming to stimulate reliable local suppliers to substitute imports and address the rising trade deficit, according to a statement from the ministry.
Speaking on the backdrop of the inauguration, Mezzour said that “Maroc Akhchab, once an importer of wood products, is now switching to local production and minimizing its dependence on international markets.”
Mezzour called the inauguration a “Moroccan success story” that demonstrates Morocco’s industrial potential to achieve sovereignty.
Commenting on the government initiative to replace imports with local supply chains, the minister said that the initiative is “just the beginning,” adding that the group will continue to expand its activities.
On his part, Maroc Akhchab’s General Manager Karim El Khayati said that his group is convinced of the Moroccan market’s “opportunities” to accelerate the development of all industries,
“Our wish is to maintain the development of a Moroccan wood industry, in compliance with international standards, thanks to Moroccan know-how and skills,” El Khayati pointed out.
Construction work for the factory started two years ago in December 2020 with an initial investment of more than MAD 40 million ($4 million). A portion of the investment was covered through MarocPME, a state fund dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
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