HM King Mohammed VI, accompanied by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, inaugurated, on Wednesday in the municipality of El Marsa, Layoune, the extension work of the Laayoune port, designed to accompany the ongoing development of the port activities, MAP news agency reported.
The King unveiled the commemorative plaque and was briefed on the project that will cost a total of MAD 280 million. It consists of carrying out several infrastructures (MAD 220 millions) and acquiring port equipment (MAD 60 millions).
The project aims at extending the reception infrastructures of merchant ships and the fishing fleet. The conditions of fish unloading will also be improved in order to enable this sector to play its essential role in the economic growth of the region.
The project will also set up protection infrastructures over a 1,500 m, implement a 276 m commercial quay, 3.3 ha of platform, and a deep fishing quay of 4 m Z/H.
It also envisages the construction of 10 guanos posts for unloading industrial fish (150 m), a Roro ramp, a fitting out network for the fishing quay, platform covering and the extension of the port electric system.
The project also includes the acquisition of a 25 ton crane, a 3000 CV tug, two 4m3 loaders and two 450 ton/hour grasshoppers.
The Laayoune port, which was put into service in 1986, seeks to cover the needs of the southern Provinces of the Kingdom as well as the treatment and development of the region's water resources of the region.
The rapid growth of trade in the port needed a first extension in 1991 and a second one between 1997 and 1999.
The total volume of trade transiting through the Layoune port, particularly phosphates, sand and hydrocarbons has passed from 3,167,000 ton in 2001 to 4,514,000 ton four years later, according to the Office of Ports Exploitation.
It added that during the same year, the trade in this port represented 7% of the total trade volume of Moroccan ports, inshore fishing 40%, and coastal fishing 36%.
The Sovereign was also briefed on the project of building a new hall for fish in Laayoune port, which will cover 8,600 m2.
The hall, which will be the biggest one in Morocco, will need a budget of MAD 40 million.
On his arrival to the Laayoune port, the Monarch was greeted by a detachment of the Royal Guards. He was also greeted by Minister of Equipment and Transports Karim Ghellab, the Wali of the Laayoune Boujdour Sakia El Hamra region, the President of the region, the President of the Provincial Council, the President of the Municipal Council of the El Marsa city, the Secretary General of the Coastal Fishing Sector, the Director General of the Office of Ports Exploitation (ODEP) and several economic and civil society activists of the El Marsa city.
© Morocco Times 2006