The Moroccan government has attracted public ire following the increase in the price of gas bottles, a mass consumer product in Morocco with an annual consumption of 250 million bottles.
This price increase contrasts with the purchasing power of Moroccan citizens which is experiencing a deterioration for 87% of the population according to recent reports. Reaction to the increase has been strong, with popular protests and statements from several national organizations rejecting the decision and calling on the government to honor its promises.
The National Labor Union in Morocco denounced this increase, calling it a deliberate attack on purchasing power. She called on the government to take urgent measures to mitigate the deterioration in the purchasing power of workers and citizens in general.
The Democratic Confederation of Labor in Morocco also rejected the decision, accusing it of worsening social unrest. It illustrated the consequences of the liberalization of the hydrocarbon sector: a skyrocketing price of many consumer goods and a lack of measures to protect the purchasing power of citizens.
Bouazza El Kharrati, president of the Moroccan Union of Consumer Rights, predicts that this increase will affect the price of many products linked directly or indirectly to gas.
The government’s plan provides for an annual increase in the price of a gas bottle of 10 dirhams (~1 dollar) until 2026, reaching a final price of 140 dirhams (~12.80 dollars).
