Country Report On the occasion of the International Forum of ICT Strategies and Investment (IFISI 2006), in Marrakech, from March 1 to 3, 2006, The Korea IT Times is pleased to insert an exclusive special interview with H.E Mr. Ahmed BOURZAIM, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco. - Ed Q: Would you please tell our readers about this month's IFISI 2006 in Marrakech A: Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) organized the International Forum of ICT Strategies and Investment (IFISI 2006), in Marrakech, from March 1 to 3, 2006. The major aspect of this Forum, which is intended to bring a part of the solution to the issue of funding of ICT projects, is its matchmaking methodology, between projects holders and investors. In this respect, strategies and opportunities of ICT investment will be presented before and with solution providers, with regard to a wide range of sectors such as Healthcare, e-Government, Banking and Finance, Industry, Energy, Education, Environment, Agriculture, etc. Ministers and high ranking officials in charge of ICTs, economy, trade and industry, senior officials from national and international organizations, as well as representatives of the private sector are expected to take part in this important Forum, which is to be organized on an annual basis. Q: What's your opinion about Korea-made DMB or Wibro products as well as the adaptation possibilities of these technologies in Morocco A: The Digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) and wireless broadband (WiBro) are two technologies that Korea have developed and commercialized recently. I understand that in the Republic of Korea there are high expectations that theses next generation communications and broadcasting will create a huge market, serving as a new growth engine. In Morocco we are still to witness this positive evolution. But a lot of progress has been achieved in ICT technologies in general. Concerning the adaptability of this technology to the ICT sector in Morocco, I think it is more a matter of investment in additional infrastructures that can serve as a support for theses new technologies. On the other hand, Morocco can certainly profit from the Korean ICT advanced experience and I hope that in the near future the two countries will engage in a fruitful co-operation in the field of these new technologies. Q: How high is the IT development level in Morocco at the moment A: Reforms undertaken over the last decade have helped the Moroccan economy to adjust to the new global realities, emerging as one of the most vibrant economies in the Middle East and Africa. Presently, the Moroccan economy possesses great potentials and comparative and competitive advantages, for export and investment, in sectors such as Food processing, Chemicals and Para-chemicals, Textile and Leather, Mechanical and Metallurgical , Electrical and Electronics. Regarding the ICTs, Morocco has made the choice of treating this sector as a national priority. It hopes to develop it so as to emerge as one hub linking Europe, Africa and the Middle-East region. From 1988 to 2002, the growth rate in the Moroccan cellular market has exceeded 242 %, making the cellular market in Morocco one of the fastest growing, not only in Africa and the Arab world, but also in the world at large. The number of cellular telephone subscribers soared from 42,924 subscribers in 1997, to 3.3 million by the end of January 2001, and to 10 million in 2004. The arrival of cyber-cafs resulted in an explosion of the Internet in Morocco and the total number of cyber cafs listed during the period from 1999 to 2001 registered a growth rate of 500 percent, while the number of Internet users has reached 4 million in 2004. Many experts believe that Morocco is by far one of Africa's most advanced countries in terms of the Internet. Moreover, the call centers market is fast growing in Morocco with a turnover which rose from 5.7 million US$ in 1999 to 57 million US$ in 2002, 90 % export related. In this regard, it is worthwhile to note that the Moroccan workforce is highly skilled and educated, proficient in French, English, and Spanish as well as IT literate. It is highly reliable and can deliver worldclass quality to ensure rapid delivery of service. Q: What about IT collaboration between Korea and Morocco A: The IT collaboration between Morocco and Korea started in April 2000 in Rabat where the two countries had their 1st international conference on the theme of "cooperation between Morocco and Korea in the 21st century", under the joint auspices of the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education and KIMA (Korean Institute of Middle East and Africa). The Moroccan side used this opportunity to press for further promotion of cooperation between the two countries, with a particular emphasis on the IT sector. In the pursuit of this objective, the "Korea-Morocco IT Forum" was organized in Seoul, in January 2002, by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communication, the Institute of Information Technology Assessment and Korea Telecom. Later the Korean side organized two conferences in Morocco in 2003 and 2005, aiming at promoting cooperation between the two countries respectively in the field of ICTs and in all sectors including ICTs. Beside active exchanges of IT professionals, the two Countries signed the Agreement in the field of IT in May 2001, which solidified bilateral cooperation in the field of IT. Q: How high do you rate Korea's IT level in general A: No doubt Korea is one of the major players in the world in the field of ICTs. This is demonstrated on the ground by the fact that two-thirds of the Korean population has mobile phones and more than 12 million have broadband Internet access. Furthermore the Republic of Korea is currently ranked by the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) among the top five countries in the IT competitiveness worldwide. We in Morocco recognize and appreciate the high quality of Korean IT products. Our market along with good prospect for expansion in the region, have prompted companies like LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics to establish important offices in Morocco. I remain convinced that Korea has even more to give to its people and to the world with regard to ICTs, while at the same time I firmly believe in the ability of Korea, the 11th economic power worldwide, in playing a more significant role in the international arena, notably through the strengthening of cooperation ties in the IT sector, particularly with African nations. Q: Please tell us a bit more about Morocco's IT policy A: Morocco's achievements in this field are an excellent showcase of today's worldwide liberalization, privatization and transformation process. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) considers the Moroccan experience as a worthy example for other countries in the region to follow. In the field of ICTs, the Moroccan government's action has always aimed at securing the county's place in the digital age. As a result, the Moroccan telecommunications infrastructure has increased in both quantity and quality. This development was founded on three major pillars: The institutional telecommunications reform process, political democratization and technological advancement. The sector represented 2/3 (two third) of foreign investments between 1998 and 2001, generated 1.59 billion US$ in licensing and 2.27 billion US$ turnover in 2003, representing 4.53 % of the GDP. The French giant "Vivendi Universal" has invested 2.3 billion US$ in 2001 and 1.5 billion US$ in 2004, for the acquisition respectively of 35% and 16 % of the capital of the historic operator "Maroc Telecom". Licenses have been granted to international companies such as Space com, GulfSat Maghreb, Argos/Telenor, Orbcomm Maghreb, Global Star TESAM, DataComm Maghreb, Soremar, Thuraya Maghreb, Inquam Telecom SA, Moratel SA, Telefonica. In 2001, "Casablanca Techno Park", the first of four planned technology parks opened in Casablanca, and is hosting now a number of major foreign electronics firms, such as Thomson, Microsoft, Compaq and Oracle. Moreover, the government has made all the necessary efforts to make Morocco an advanced IT nation by establishing EMorocco strategy together with the state of the art Techno Park, giving the ecommerce all the chances to prosper, and providing a basis for training IT professionals. Q: In which areas would Morocco like to cooperate with Korea in terms of IT collaboration A: We certainly look forward to the opportunity of further developing our cooperation with Korean firms and agencies, and we are appreciative of the Korean government's support in this effort. Morocco can benefit from the rich Korean experience accumulated over a short period of time. The cooperation between the two countries in this field could be tremendously boosted if adequate funding is available for some IT projects to be carried out in Morocco, by either Korean private or public sectors. In this regard, major Korean IT companies could largely benefit from the Moroccan business environment in general and the strategic position of Morocco at the junction between Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as from the package of incentives granted by the Moroccan government to foreign investors. Cooperation between the two countries could also be further expanded by the holding of bilateral meetings, such as "Korea Morocco IT Forum" at a regular basis, and above all within the framework of the Joint Commission, which by the way is scheduled to be held in the near future in Morocco.