Moroccan King Delivers Speech To Nation On 47th Anniversary Of Green March

Rabat, Nov 7 (TNA) King Mohammed VI delivered, on Sunday, a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the glorious Green March. In his address he said that the commemoration of the forty-seventh anniversary of the Green March comes at a crucial time in the process to firmly establish the Moroccanness of the Sahara.

“Whereas the glorious, epic Green March made it possible to liberate that part of our territory, the continuing marches I have been spearheading aim to make sure our citizens lead a dignified life, especially in those Saharan regions, which are dear to my heart, our action to defend the Moroccanness of the Sahara is based on a holistic approach that combines not only political and diplomatic action, but also efforts to promote economic, social and human development in the region” he added.

The development program for the southern provinces, signed during the ceremony I presided over in Laayun, in November 2015, and in Dakhla, in February 2016, is part of that endeavor, the king pointed out.

This, he further stated, is an integrated development program, with a budget in excess of 77 billion dirhams. It aims to launch a real socio-economic dynamic, create jobs and investment opportunities, and provide the region with the infrastructure and facilities it needs.

“Seven years into the program, it is gratifying to note that the expenditure commitment rate stands at about 80 per cent of the total budget allocated to it”, he said. The Tiznit-Dakhla highway is in its final stages, the region’s connection to the national electricity grid has been completed and the communication networks consolidated and extended.

Similarly, the solar and wind power plants programmed have been completed as well. The construction of the major Dakhla-Atlantic port will begin soon, once the various studies and administrative procedures are completed. As regards the economy, which is the main driver of development, a number of projects have been completed concerning the valorization and processing of fish products – an industry that provides thousands of jobs to the region’s inhabitants, the king stated.

In the agricultural sector, more than six thousand hectares have been developed in Dakhla and Boujdour and placed at the disposal of young farmers from the region. The implementation rate of most projects planned in the phosphate, water and sanitation sectors is quite high.