Global trade traffic amounted to 88 million tonnes (MT) in 2019, registering an increase of 3.2% compared to 2018, according to the National Ports Agency (ANP).
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Container traffic, meanwhile, recorded a record 1.3 million TEU containers, representing a growth of 2.5% compared to 2018, specifies the ANP in a press release sanctioning the work of the meeting of its Council of ‘administration, held last Friday under the chairmanship of the Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, Abdelkader Amara.
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During this meeting, devoted to the assessment of the year 2019, the council took note in particular of the progress of the structuring projects carried out by the Agency, its dynamism in terms of sectoral regulation and the reassuring level displayed by the whole financial indicators, says the same source.
At the opening of the session, Amara underlined the highly beneficial anticipatory management for Morocco of the crisis linked to the pandemic of the new coronavirus (covid-19) by the Government, the press release said. The Minister also paid tribute to the executives and employees of the ANP for the work accomplished during the containment and which made it possible to keep the ports in activity to ensure the supply of the country and maintain the crucial import for the economy. especially in strategic products.
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For its part, the director general of the ANP, Nadia Laraki, said that the assessment of the year 2019 shows very encouraging indicators. In terms of infrastructure development, projects totaling 962 million dirhams (MDH) were launched and projects already initiated by the Agency were continued during the past year. This concerns in particular the projects relating to the Wessal Casablanca Port program, the community building, the multi-purpose terminal at the port of Agadir and various works to strengthen the infrastructure.
In terms of sectoral regulation, the year 2019 was particularly marked by the culmination of two structuring projects concerning the support of the opening to operation of the new port of Safi and the finalization of the reorganization scheme of the spaces of the extension of the port of Dakhla.
Other important achievements have also been made and target in particular the consolidation of the operational regulatory system through tariff leverage, the promotion of regimes for carrying out port activities and the carrying out of strategic studies.
In terms of financial achievements, the Agency’s turnover increased by 4.1% to 1.85 billion dirhams (MMDH) and the self-financing capacity amounted to 477 MDH (+31.3 %). The added value reached 1.17 MMDH (+ 8.5%). 2019 was also marked by the implementation of the new refinancing mechanism for the new port of Safi.
At the end of the work of this meeting, the Board of Directors adopted the resolutions which were submitted to it.