By Ismail BellaoualiMorocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, a billionaire petrol baron, is facing a growing online campaign demanding he step down as fuel prices — and energy firms’ profits — surge. Many are calling on the government to halve fuel prices and impose a cap on the profits of petrol retailers — including the dominant player Afriquia, of which Akhannouch is the majority owner. “This campaign’s focus on the prime minister in person reflects anger at the mix of money and politics which Akhannouch is seen as embodying,” saidanalyst Mohamed Chakir. Petrol prices in Morocco hit record highs of 18 dirhams ($1.80) for a litre of unleaded in June, fuelling overall inflation expected to top five percent this year, and adding to the misery of farmers hit by the worst drought in decades. The firm was among several major companies hit by a boycott in 2018 over a cost-of-living crisis when Akhannouch was agriculture minister.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 08, 2022 01:29 UTC