Moroccan Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy that telecom prices in Morocco are among the lowest in the world and cannot be reduced.
The minister made the announcement before the Productive Sectors Commission at the House of Representatives. The meeting took place to study five requests by parliamentary groups concerning the department’s strategy.
“Pushing telecom companies to reduce their prices will either make them go bankrupt or prevent them from making more investments,” said Elalamy. “We want more investment in this field, we would like to have 5G internet and more.”
Elalamy also highlighted how telecom companies are contributing to the remote learning campaign in Morocco. His ministry was the one to intervene to ensure free access for students using the online services.
Morocco’s Ministry of Education announced on May 31 that the TelmidTICE remote learning platform does not require internet subscription to access, and that students can also download their lessons as well as digital resources on the platform.
The Minister of Education, Said Amzazi, said that the initiative aims to promote equal opportunities among Moroccan students and facilitate their access to educational content.
On April 20, Morocco’s main telecommunication company, Maroc Telecom (IAM), announced donating MAD 1.5 billion ($146.96 million) to Morocco’s Special Fund for the Management and Response to COVID-19.
King Mohammed VI created the fund on March 15, with an initial budget of MAD 10 billion ($979.9 million), to mitigate the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis on the Moroccan economy.
The same day it announced its contribution to the fund, an IAM press release reported a 4% growth in total revenue in the first quarter of 2020. The company’s revenue currently stands at MAD 9.3 billion ($911 million).