AMN - Morocco’s job creation efforts aid industry – comment by Yolanda Torrisi

Sometimes Government officials across the globe often ask themselves what can we do to bring wealth to our country. One option is to do what Morocco is doing and encourage the creation of new jobs to boost local economies. National job creation efforts like that being advanced by Morocco can benefit the mining industry, particularly if efforts are targeted at creating new roles in the resources industry.

The North African country has dialled up efforts in its mining industry in the past six months with its jobs push. Morocco’s target is to create 30,000 more mineral industry jobs or increase the headcount in its mining industry by almost three-quarters.

The country on the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea is a centuries-old trader’s delight, exporting agricultural produce, semi-processed items and consumer goods. But the Western Kingdom’s phosphates and phosphate products are also a drawcard for its trading partners, along with crude oil and industrial equipment.

Phosphate contributed a 90% lion’s share of the country’s 35.11 million tons produced in 2017. It’s no wonder the sector is the second-largest producer of the commodity worldwide, holding 75% of estimated global reserves.

Morocco wants to promote economic growth and encourage sustainable development in the whole country and one way to do this is to ensure its mining industry is more diversified and bigger in size.

By adopting a strategy for more jobs in the mining industry, the Moroccan Government is hoping the grow the industry’s size and better diversify it at the same time.

Gold, silver, zinc, copper and cobalt are all prospective in the nation.

By encouraging more exploration spend for minerals resources, the government hopes to grow the size of the industry as public and private investors spend more in the country.

Morocco’s push for jobs creation translated into an increased exploration budget of 4 billion dirhams for discovering new resources, as revealed by Energy, Mines and Environment Minister Aziz Rabbah during the first Marrakech Mining Convention in April.

Like other good efforts the government pushes, it had a targeted result — increasing revenues by 15 billion dirhams within six years.

Mining currently contributes about 21% of the country’s export jobs.

By using national-level strategies to introduce new jobs, Morocco can grow its exports and public wealth.

Job creation efforts across Africa can help us keep things moving and develop new projects.

Let’s encourage other countries on the continent take a leaf out of Morocco’s book and invest in the development of our industry so officials can encourage economic growth and jobs for community members.

- Yolanda Torrisi is Chairperson of The African Mining Network and comments on African mining issues and the growing global interest in the continent. Contact: yolanda@yolandatorrisi.com