Morocco Can Be Malaysia's Gateway Into Africa

By Azizul Ahmad KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The Moroccan Centre for Export Promotion (Maroc Export) said Morocco can become a gateway for Malaysian companies to penetrate or enhance export to Africa, especially the western and central parts of the continent. Maroc Export Secretary General, Zouhair Triqui, said Morocco being an African country itself, had wide experience in trade and knew its neighbours very well. "We can lead the business route to more than 15 countries in the west and central Africa, for example Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Gabon, Mali, Cameroon and Mauritania. "Morocco has among the most advanced infrastructure in Africa and is well supported in terms of logistics and flight connectivity to other African countries," he told Bernama on the sidelines of a business meeting involving some Moroccan and Malaysian business communities here Monday. Zouhair led a Morrocan business delegate to the Morocco-Malaysia Business Opportunities seminar here earlier, which was jointly organised by the centre, together with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation. The delegation comprising 12 representatives from Morocco's exporters association and sectors such as pharmaceutical, information technology (IT), information and communications technology (ICT), power, chemistry, plastics and leather industry, has plans for onsite visits to several local manufacturers on Tuesday. "We will identify on how companies from the two countries can collaborate to export together to Africa, or from Africa to Asian markets via Malaysia. Perhaps, it may involve sectors like electricity, building materials, plastics, pharmaceutical, IT and ICT. "Morocco itself is good in sectors such as automotive, textiles, phosphate, aeronautical, agri business, electricity and IT," he added. Maroc Export, which is in charge of trade promotion and export development, is a non-profit public organisation under the auspices of Morocco's Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and Digital Economy. --BERNAMA