Voices are rising in Morocco for a new donation campaign for the anti-coronavirus fund, which now has 9 billion dirhams ($975 mln). The fund was spurred by King Mohammed VI when the virus first outbroke in Morocco and gathered some 33.7 billion dirhams ($3.7 bln) thanks to generous donations from Moroccan enterprises and individuals. The fund helped pay stipends for nearly 5 million households whose main provider had to stop working due to coronavirus lockdown, which lasted more than three months. Amid a rise in expenditures and steep drop in tax revenue, Morocco’s budget deficit widened to 41.9 billion dirhams in July, compared with 24.2 billion the same period last year. By August 13, Morocco carried over 1.5 million tests.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 14, 2020 00:22 UTC