A 3% Growth Rate in Morocco in 2012 would be a Good Performance amid Difficult International Juncture

Achieving a growth rate of nearly 3% in 2012 would be considered a "very significant" performance for Morocco, given the difficult international economic situation, said, on Friday in Rabat, Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, Inger Andersen.

Andersen highlighted the resilience of the Moroccan economy to the effects of the financial crisis.

Growth projections for the year 2012 "are very respectable given the economy contraction internationally," Andersen told a press conference at the end of a two-day official visit to Morocco.

The economic reforms under way in Morocco and the Kingdom's commitment to enhanced governance and inclusive growth have put it on "a positive path," she said.

Andersen stressed the need to enhance competitiveness and growth in order to promote employment, especially among young people who constitute a significant segment of Moroccan society.

The World Bank had approved, last June, a loan of $ 300 million for Morocco, with a programme of local capacity-building to support the second phase of the National Initiative for Human Development, which aims to provide improved services and economic opportunities to vulnerable populations.