11 migrants die after boat capsizes off Morocco: medic
Chamber of advisors unanimously rejects proposal to broaden MINURSO’s mandate
Rabat, April 18,2013 (MAP)
Both opposition and majority groups at the chamber of advisors (upper parliamentary chamber) rejected on Tuesday the proposal to broaden the mandate of the UN Sahara mission to embrace human rights monitoring, calling it a project that affects Morocco's sovereignty and a dangerous deviation in the UN settlement process.
Underlining that the settlement process requires consensus rather that imposed and unilateral initiatives, the chamber expressed "anger and concern" for the potential effects of such a move on the ongoing settlement process.
The majority and opposition groups called the UN Security Council members and all peace-loving countries to ponder on the negotiations started five years ago to identify which party is positively endeavoring for a fair and lasting settlement to the conflict and which party is protracting for reasons known to all.
The Istiqlal group (majority) considers that the initiative is extremely dangerous for Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces.
In the same vein, the socialist group (opposition) "firmly rejected attempts to alter the UN Sahara mission mandate, outlined by the United Nations since the 1991 cease-fire". "This unexpected and unilateral decision follows word by word the proposals of Algeria and the Polisario who call for putting the human rights situation under the MINURSO monitoring", says the Socialist group.
For the opposition Constitutional group, "the goal of this initiative is to deviate the negotiation process, to which Morocco has adhered efficiently". It also seeks to stall the quest of a political and objective solution to this conflict, the constitutional group said.
Morocco death for apostates fatwa sparks controversy
RABAT, April 18, 2013 (AFP)
A fatwa published this week by Morocco's higher council of religious scholars (CSO) calling for the death penalty for Muslims who renounce their faith has sparked fierce controversy in the country.
The scholars, who represent official Islam in Morocco, said in their edict, published in Tuesday's edition of Arabic-language daily Akhbar al-Youm, that Muslims who reject their faith "should be condemned to death."
The fatwa, which has provoked strong reactions, dates back to April 2012 when a legal report was being prepared by the government, but it was not published at the time, according to local media.
Mahjoub El Hiba, a senior human rights official in the government, denied in a statement to the official MAP news agency having requested any such fatwa from the council of Islamic scholars, as Akhbar al-Youm had claimed.
"What was published in the document attributed to the CSO does not concern our government and commits us to nothing," Hiba told AFP.
"I am not authorised to request advice or fatwas from the CSO. I do not have to comment on what a constitutional body like this does," he added.
The CSO is the only institution entitled to issue fatwas in Morocco. The ministry of Islamic affairs declined to comment on the issue.
Morocco's penal code does not explicitly prohibit apostasy, which is illegal in most Muslim countries, and punishable by death in some states such as Saudi Arabia, although in practice people are rarely executed for renouncing their faith.
But Moroccan law states that "anyone attempting to undermine the faith of a Muslim or convert him to another religion" risks six months to three years in prison.
Moroccans criticise budget cuts
By Siham Ali
Rabat, April 18, 2013
The Moroccan government's decision to postpone the allocation of 15 billion dirhams for investment purposes is drawing heavy criticism.
Finance Minister Nizar Baraka on Monday (April 15th) assured deputies that the recent budget cuts were necessary due to the deficit and carefully thought through.
He stressed that the decision would have no impact on employment or social measures.
He also said that other measures to encourage private investment would be taken to boost the economy and added that the agricultural season, which is expected to be a good one, would have a big impact on growth.
The government resorted to this measure as a way of dealing with the current situation, Communication Minister Mustapha El Khalfi said.
The aim is to maintain the balance of public finances and to abide by the principles of good governance in the stewardship of public funds, he added.
The opposition was critical of the measure.
The government has no ethical or political right to take decisions unilaterally without consulting parliament, which voted in favour of the plans and budgets, National Rally of Independents (RNI) parliamentary leader Rachid Talbi Alami said.
Professionals and experts drew attention to the issue of employment.
The reduction in the investment budget will inevitably affect employment since public investment projects create jobs, even if they are not profitable at the time when they are carried out, economist Ziati Mustapha explained.
It is essential to consider a new form of public-private partnership in order to kick-start the economy while ensuring that budget cuts do not affect projects that have an impact on development, he added.
Morocco still has some room for manoeuvre in its efforts to tackle the crisis and breathe new life into the labour market, he said.
The desire to reduce the budget deficit and maintain macro-economic equilibrium cannot be criticised, Cement Manufacturers' Professional Association President Mohamed Chaibi said.
"We wanted this equilibrium to be maintained by methods that do not involve cutting investments in infrastructure. Such investments provide hundreds of thousands of jobs," he noted.
Members of the public expressed their concerns how this could affect their daily lives.
The news of the investment budget cut is worrying and suggests that the crisis is hitting Morocco hard, accountant Siham Chabairi said. She also expressed her concern over the possibility of the government resorting to other measures, such as raising food prices.
Law student Merouane Fahmi shared Chabairi's view, noting that the government has always been in favour of maintaining and expanding public investment in the past, he said.
"Its recent decision proves that the crisis is having a serious impact in 2013," he said. "Let's hope that other measures will be taken to bring the crisis to an end and re-launch the economy and hence employment."
Budget Minister Idriss Azami on Monday told the press that despite the budget cuts, the level of investment seen in 2012 will be maintained in 2013.
He noted that this would not have a detrimental impact on the economy and that the government was preparing other measures intended to kick-start the economy and facilitate investment in order to rekindle growth.
Magharebia
Sahara: King Mohammed VI sends a high level delegation to China
Beijing, April 19, 2013 (MAP)
King Mohammed VI's advisor, Taib Fassi Fihri, conveyed, Friday in Beijing, to Chinese Vice-President, Li Yuanchao, a message from the King to President Xi Jinping. The royal message was delivered by Fassi Fihri to Chinese Vice-Presiden at a meeting of a high-level Moroccan delegation with the Chinese official on bilateral relations and means to further strengthen them. Fassi Fihri told MAP after the meeting that the royal message is part of ongoing consultations between the two heads of state and emphasizes the need to strengthen the level of relations between the two countries. During talks with Chinese vice-president, the Moroccan delegation surveyed the friendly relations between the two countries, which are marked by constant solidarity and regular exchange of high-level visits. The Moroccan delegation, which also includes foreign minister Saad Dine Otmani and the Director General of Studies and Documentation, Mohamed Yassine Mansouri, had also talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In addition to issues of common interest, the Moroccan delegation's meetings with Chinese officials focused on the latest developments in the Arab world, in Africa and internationally. The Chinese side stressed that Beijing attaches particular importance to developing relations with Morocco and hopes to strengthen these ties on the basis of mutual respect, equality and common interests
Communication minister presents at Westminster Political and economic progress in Morocco
London, April 23, 2013 (MAP)
Morocco's communication minister and government spokesman, Mustapha El Khalfi, presented on Monday at the British parliament political and economic progress achieved in Morocco, spearheaded by King Mohammed VI Mohammed VI, stressing that this progress makes of Morocco an exception in a troubled region. El Khalfi, who was speaking at a round table at the Westminster palace in the presence of several MPS, researchers and journalists, pointed out that Morocco's success in ushering democratic reforms while maintaining stability was internationally-acclaimed, insisting that monarchy is the warrant of the state endurance.
Morocco has emerged as a unique and successful model in a troubled region, went on the minister, before underlining the diversity of the Kingdom's political, social, cultural and linguistic diversity as well as efforts to promote civil society. He further noted that the speech delivered by King Mohammed VI in March 2011 has set a roadmap for a successful democratic process, recalling that the process started with the reform of the family law that enhanced women's rights and the creation of the Justice and reconciliation commission to shelve past human rights abuses. The official cited the recognition of the Amazigh culture and language as a component of the Moroccan identity, in addition to the National human development initiative as a tool to achieve economic, social and human development and reduce social gaps.
The new government that emerged from the 2011 legislative elections is endeavoring to carry on political and economic development efforts, El Khalfi went on evoking justice reform and the regionalization and decentralization process. Owing to these efforts, more and more foreign direct investments are attracted to Morocco, as FDI's grew by 19.4 pc in the first 9 months of 2012 compared to the same period of 2011.
At the international level, the minister further highlighted the strategic dialogue launched by Morocco with the USA, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, explaining that this is the best way to preserve stability in the region and that latest development in the Sahel region reflect the importance of challenges of extremism upsurge and the threat it represents for stability in the whole region.
Of the Sahara issue, El Khalfi surveyed the historical development of this issue, with a special focus on the initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 to grant large autonomy to its southern provinces as a means to settled once and for all this artificial conflict, recalling that superpowers and the UN security council welcomed the proposal as credible, serious and realistic.
He also denounced the exploitation of human rights by the other party and its refusal to start earnest discussions over a conflict that foils all regional integration attempts.
Morocco “strongly” condemns attack against French embassy in Tripoli
Rabat, April 24, 2013 (MAP)
Moroccan-Mauritanian high commission opens 7th session in Nouakchott
Nouakchott, April 24, 2013 (MAP)
The 7th session of the Moroccan-Mauritanian high commission opened Wednesday morning in Nouakchott, under the co-chairmanship of the two countries' heads of government, Abdelilah Benkirane, and Moulay Ould Mohamed Laghdaf.
The Moroccan delegation to the meeting comprises minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Saad Dine El Otmani, minister of equipment and transport, Aziz Rabbah, minister of energy, mining, water and environment, Fouad Douiri, minister of employment and vocational training, Abdelouad Souhail, and minister of youth and sports, Mohammed Ouzzine, in addition to businessmen and business operators . In addition to sessions between the two governments' officials, the session features meetings between businessmen who will explore investments opportunities and establish joint ventures. Several conventions are expected to be signed between the two countries in the fields of transport, energy and mining, higher education, scientific research, vocational training, employment, sustainable development, culture, youth and promotion of women’s situation.Morocco, Palestine sign MoU for cooperation in civil service and administration modernization
Rabat, April 24, 2013 ( MAP)
Morocco and Palestine signed this Wednesday a memorandum of understanding providing for cooperation in civil service and administration modernization.
Under the MoU, the two countries will cooperate in human capital development, red-tape easing, promotion of e-government, encouragement of governance, exchange of experience and training sessions for Palestinian civil servants at the Rabat national administration school. Morocco minister-delegate for civil service and administration modernization, Abdeladim El Guerrouj, and head of civil servants office in Palestine, Moussa Abou Zaid, signed the document that would allow Palestinian civil servants and students to undergo training sessions at Moroccan public administrative services.France welcomes adoption of UN Security council resolution on Sahara
Paris, April 26, 2013(MAP)
France welcomed on Friday the adoption of a UN resolution providing for the extension of the UN Sahara mission (MINURSO), saying the text is "satisfying", particularly regarding human rights where Morocco has achieved "progress".
"We encourage the progress made (in human rights) and encourage Moroccan authorities to continue on this path", said spokesman of the French foreign department, Philippe Lalliot, in a press briefing. The spokesman insisted that France "has not changed" its "constant" stance on the Sahara issue, since the start of negotiations on a new resolution draft, which, in its new wording, calls parties to carry on efforts of promoting and protecting human rights. In addition to supporting the mission of the UN secretary general's personal envoy for the Sahara, Christopher Ross, the spokesman reiterated that France's stance is "well-known". Last week, the spokesman recalled that France has a "clear and constant" stance on the Sahara issue and praised "considerable headway" made by Morocco in human rights. "First, we consider that the statu-quo does not serve the interests of anyone. Second, we have for long been supporting a fair, lasting and mutually agreed-up solution", said the spokesman recalling that his country "is backing the Moroccan autonomy plan proposed in 2007 as a serious, and credible basis for a negotiated settlement, in accordance with the UN security council resolutions".Morocco’s labor unions cancels social dialogue with the government
By Youssef El Kaidi
Morocco World News
Fez, April 29, 2013
After the refusal of some labor unions to take part in the social dialogue round scheduled for Saturday, April 27th, 2013, the Moroccan government decided to postpone it. “Following the refusal of certain unions, for various considerations, to take part in the round of social dialogue, it was decided to cancel the meeting,” said the government official Abdelwahed Souhayl in a statement to the press.
The government official said that the government has contacted the Moroccan Labor Union and the National Labor Union to inform them of the postponement of this round of social dialogue after receiving a joint letter from the Democratic Confederation of Labor and the Democratic Federation of Labor announcing their refusal to participate in the meeting.
Reaffirming its commitment to “continue the dialogue with the different economic and social partners,” the government said it is “determined to implement the provisions of the agreement of April 26, 2011.”
It should be noted that the tension between labor unions and the government is increasing and the situation is likely to continue since social dialogue is stalled since October, 2012. Labor unions in Morocco are reluctant to take part in meetings with the government because they want “real negotiations that lead to concrete results,” says Miloudi Mokharik, Secretary-General of the Moroccan Labor Union, in a statement to Bayan Lyawm.
“We don’t want to repeat the experiences of previous dialogues, which were characterized by procrastination that took three to four months, and then the government says “sorry” economic and circumstantial factors as well as the domestic and global conditions do not allow us to fulfill your demands,” he continues.
After slamming the door at the face of the technical commission of social dialogue and with the imminence of the World Labor Day; labor unions in Morocco are deploying all their forces to take to the street and celebrate this day to flex their muscles and exert more pressure on the government
Thousands march in Rabat demanding jobs, pay rises
RABAT, May 01, 2013 (AFP)
Thousands of people took to the streets of Rabat on Wednesday demanding jobs and pay rises, during May Day demonstrations marked by tensions, with a large security contingent deployed in the Moroccan capital.
Several thousand people marched up the city's central boulevard at around midday, waving Moroccan and Berber flags, holding placards and chanting a wide range of slogans, mostly in a carnival atmosphere.
But scuffles broke out as the demonstrators passed the parliament building, with riot police beating and wounding some of the protesters.
"The people want the fall of the government!" shouted members of one workers union.
Another group, the workers union affiliated to the ruling Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD), called for an end to corruption and proclaimed its support for the king and Morocco's ownership of the disputed Western Sahara.
Many of those participating in Wednesday's rally were unemployed graduates, or public sector employees demanding better working conditions.
"When the PJD came to power, they said they'd find a solution to the job crisis. But they've done nothing to help us," said Mohammed Abdelmoneim, 27, who has been out of work since graduating last year.
"We are asking for better worker conditions, a pay rise so that we can afford to feed our families," Mohammed, a 40-year-old civil servant, told AFP.
Morocco is grappling with an economic crisis linked to the problems in Europe, its top trade partner, amid widespread poverty and youth unemployment estimated to be as high as 30 percent, which causes near-daily protests in the capital.
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Review of Moroccan editorials, May 1
Rabat, May 1, 2013 (MAP)
The celebration by the Moroccan working class of the Labor Day on May 1 is the main topic that caught the interest of editorials issued on Wednesday.
"Bayane Al Yaoum" said that Labor Day is marked this year by a growing tension between trade unions and the government and their boycott of the latest social dialogue meeting which was scheduled last Saturday. This event coincides also with the resumption of the dialogue on the implementation of the April 26, 2011 agreement, the institutionalization of the social dialogue, the law on strikes and the law on unions' liberties and meeting the financial and professional demands of the working class. "Annahar Al Maghribia" wrote that this year's Labor Day will not be different from that of the last year since Morocco witnessed, for a year and a half now, an absence of achievements in addition to the social dialogue freeze. "Rissalat Al Oumma" said that the working class celebrates the Labor Day in an exceptional socio-economic juncture which obliges both this social segment and the Moroccan enterprise to address challenges of the global economic downturn. "Al Khabar" said that Morocco celebrates the Labor Day this year in a national, regional and international juncture marked by a serious economic and financial crisis, adding that austerity policies affect the working class and their living conditions.Mawazine 2013 features George Benson’s tribute to Nat King Cole, ‘Silk Road’ show
Rabat, May 02, 2013 (AFP)
The 12th edition of Mawazine Festival-World Rhythms (May 24-June 1) will be marked by two "original shows", namely George Benson's tribute to Nat King Cole and "The Silk Route "(8 groups representing the magical journey through Europe and Asia). Legendary singer, George Benson is to pay a tribute to Nat King Cole on May 25 at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco Cultures Association announced in a statement. Considered a prominent musician, who revolutionized jazz guitar as Nat King Cole once did for the piano, George Benson will perform a large repertoire of songs by the famous crooner in collaboration with the Royal Symphony Orchestra. The guitarist will play the big Master's hits: Nature Boy, Mona Lisa or Too young. "Mawazine's second promised show will be performed at the historic Chellah set. The musical adventure of "the Silk Road" will take viewers to the heart of an ancient world full of myths and poetry," the same source said. Through this route, which connected, for centuries, Asia to Europe, eight groups will offer the public a unique show. In opening, the Dragon Ensemble will be distinguished by its ability to improvise with a repertoire representing the various provinces of China. The trio Homayoun Shajarian, Tahmoures and Sohrab Pournazeri will play the great epics of Iranian music, while "Sharmila Sharma Ensemble" will offer a performance of Indian Kathak dance. From Japan, the flutists duo Shunsuke Kimura and Etsuro Ono will perform Asian modern music. As for the Uzbek Yulduz Turdieva, he will unveil the classic Central Asian tradition. Following him, the Zabit Nabizade trio will gave the public a taste of the musical tradition of mugham. From Turkey, Aynur will sing the Kurdish vocal culture, while Patrizia Laquidara will offer the best of the Italian repertoire, by mixing jazz and rock.
Morocco union warns of violence against journalists
RABAT, May 02, 2013 (AFP)
Morocco's national press union voiced concern on Thursday over a rise in violence against journalists, in its annual report, and said it was closely following the progress of a draft new press code.
"Physical aggression towards journalists by the security forces seems to be an additional method, alongside court trials, of preventing them from achieving their duty to inform," said the union's president Younes Moujahid.
"We have the impression that officials want journalists only to cover official events and ceremonies," he added.
Communications Minister Mustapha Khalfi recently underlined the "government's strong commitment to ensuring the freedom of the press," which he said was improving "slowly but surely."
In its 2013 press freedom index, media watchdog Reporters Without Border ranked Morocco 136th in 179 countries.
A draft new press code is under study which envisages the suppression of custodial sentences for articles challenging the monarchy, religion, and Morocco's "territorial integrity," a phrase commonly used to refer to the disputed Western Sahara.
The three subjects are considered "red lines" in Morocco which can incur punitive measures by the authorities if crossed.
In its report, the press union welcomed the proposed changes, but warned that the new code "will be submitted to a long process of negotiations and discussion that may end up making it more restrictive."
Chabat’s son accused of leading a network of drug traffickers
By Youssef Sourgo
Morocco World News
Casablanca, May 08, 2013
After recent media stories highlighted the controversial statement made by the secretary general of the Istiqlal Party, Hamid Chabat, last Sunday in which he described the bulk of government politicians as “being always drunk,” it is now Chabat’s son, Nawfal Chabat, who is stealing the spotlight from his father.
Nawfal, alongside other individuals, will stand today, once again, before the court of appeals in Fez after being accused of narcotic drugs trafficking.
Allegedly, the judicial board addressing Nawfal’s case had postponed it until the presence of a key witness, nicknamed “Azeiritah,” who failed to attend previously.
Chabat’s son, Nawfal, is thus likely to be sentenced to 8 years in prison on the charge of leading a network of cocaine dealers.
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Spain unveils Morocco baby-trafficking ring
MADRID, May 08, 2013 (AFP)
Spanish police said Wednesday they had uncovered a racket in which babies born to needy mothers in Morocco and the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla were sold to wealthy families in Spain during the 1970s and 1980s.
Police have identified 28 cases where newborns were taken from their mothers and sold to families in mainland Spain who could not have children, for between 1,200 and 6,000 euros ($1,600 and $8,000), police said in a statement. In Melilla, a Spanish-held territory bordering Morocco, the ring either paid the mothers for their newborns or convinced them to give them up with the promise that the child would have a better life in Spain. “In Morocco the ring had contacts with healthcare workers and hospital employees in Oujda and Nador who facilitated the delivery and transportation of the newborns to Melilla,” the police statement said, referring to places in Morocco near the border of the territory. Members of the ring would hand over the babies to the families in Melilla along with false documents which certified them as being the biological parents of the newborns. Police identified 31 people who they suspect were involved in the baby trafficking, including three healthcare workers and two nuns. Twelve suspects have died and the rest were not detained for the time being because they are either very old or in poor health. The suspects are accused of various crimes including forging documents, illegal detention and making a false birth declaration, police said. The ring charged a higher price for newborn girls because there was a greater demand for daughters. The case is a new twist on Spain's so-called “stolen babies” scandal which erupted at the end of 2010. The alleged victims say a secret network of doctors and nuns stole newborn babies and sold them for adoption, starting under the 1939-75 dictatorship of General Francisco Franco and continuing up to the 1980s. Some 1,500 court cases have been filed with prosecutors by people hoping to track down their lost relatives but judges have shelved many cases on the grounds that the deeds were committed too long ago. Police opened their investigation into the Morocco and Melilla ring in November 2011 following a complaint from ANADIR, an association formed to represent victims of the scandal.Moroccan Authorities Dismantled Cells Plotted To Carry Out Jihadist Attacks In Morocco
Rabat, May 9, 2013 (MAP)
The Moroccan interior ministry said preliminary investigations in the case of two extremist cells dismantled recently in the northeastern region of Nador have found that the cells members plotted to set up a camp in the region's mountainous areas in order to carry out "Jihad attacks" in Morocco.
Preliminary investigations found that the cells, named "Al Mouahidine" and "Attaouhid", planned to set a camp around the city of Nador to be used as a support base for +jihad+ attacks+ in the Kingdom and plotted to rob banks to finance their criminal acts, the ministry said in a release this Thursday.
The cells members had "links with some persons sharing the same ideology in the occupied north city of Mellilia and in Belgium and projected to recruit more adepts in order to proclaim Jihad in Morocco", the release goes on.
The source also revealed that the cell members founded a school in the region of Farkhana in order to teach their children their ideology.
The two groups, active in the northeastern small towns of Zghenghen, Beni Boughafer, Selouane, Ferkhana and Beni Chiguer, had links with a network of radicals in northern Mali that specialized in recruiting volunteers for jihad in Africa’s Sahel region, the ministry had said, adding that the Mali group was dismantled in November.
The network members have perpetrated a series of robberies and were in touch with extremist people in northern Mali on behalf of a network specialized in brainwashing and in sending volunteers to fight in the Sahel region, says the ministry, pointing out that their members comprised two former convicts, sued for terror charges.
Investigation is still going on with the alleged members of the two cells who will be referred to the general prosecutor.
King Mohammed VI Receives Phone Call From President Obama
Rabat, May 9, 2013 (MAP)
King Mohammed VI received this Thursday a phone call from US president Barack Obama, the Royal office announced. It had been agreed to hold this important phone call recently following an exchange of letters between the two heads of state, the Royal office release says.
Indeed, King Mohammed VI had sent on April 12, 2013 to President Obama a letter underlining the importance of the Moroccan Sahara issue for the Kingdom of Morocco and the risks that would be entailed by any alteration in the mandate of the UN Sahara mission (MINURSO).
President Obama sent to the sovereign a reply on April 18, 2013, the release recalls.
During the phone call, the two heads of state hailed the positive results reached thanks to the exchange of letters, the release notes, adding that the King thanked President Obama for his personal and efficient involvement and for the clear instructions he issued in this regard to his administration, giving proof, by the same token, of his attachment to the excellence of relations with Morocco.
The US president paid tribute to the considerable progress and reforms spearheaded by the King and that make of Morocco a model for the entire region.
The sovereign and the US president also agreed to intensify political consultation and to hold, to this end, personal and direct contacts on a regular basis.
The two heads of state further decided to reinforce the already longstanding and deep bilateral relations, particularly in the frame of strategic dialogue initiated in 2012 between the two allies.
Particular interest is granted to cooperation in matters of defense, security and the fight against terrorism, the release goes on, stressing that President Obama expressed the wish to deepen consultation with the King on international topical issues, in particular on Syria, Mali and Palestine, given the Moroccan acquaintance and expertise on various issues.
The US president invited the Sovereign to pay a visit to Washington in the course of 2013. the King also invited President Obama to visit Morocco. They both looked forward to this opportunity, the release concludes.
Morocco launches solar mega-project at Ouarzazate
RABAT, May 10, 2013 (AFP)
Morocco on Friday officially launched the construction of a 160-megawatt solar power plant near the desert city of Ouarzazate, the first in a series of vast solar projects planned in the country.
The largest of its kind in the world, according to Mustapha Bakkoury, the head of Morocco's solar energy agency MASEN, the thermo-solar plant will cost 7 billion dirhams (630 million euros) and is slated for completion in 2015, the official MAP news agency reported.
The ambitious project "reinforces the will... to optimise the exploitation of Morocco's natural resources, to preserve its environment... and sustain its development," Bakkoury said at the ceremony which was attended by King Mohammed VI.
A consortium led by Saudi developer ACWA Power won the contract to build the plant, near Morocco's desert gateway city, last September.
The World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank are helping to finance the solar complex.
It is the first of a two-phase project, due for completion in 2020, that is expected to cover 3,000 hectares and have a generation capacity of 500 megawatts, enough to met the electricity needs of Ouarzazate's 1.5 million residents.
MASEN's Bakkoury said in March that companies bidding for the second phase of the project had to submit their proposals by mid-April, with the contract to be awarded sometime next year.
The North African country is aiming to become a world-class renewable energy producer, and is eyeing the chance to export clean electricity to neighbouring Europe.
Morocco expects to build five new solar plants by the end of the decade with a combined production capacity of 2,000 megawatts and at an estimated cost of nine billion dollars (6.9 billion euros).
The kingdom has no oil and gas reserves to speak of and is hoping, with the solar projects, along with a string of planned wind farms along its Atlantic coast, to raise renewable energy production to 42 percent of its total power supply mix by 2020.