Activities
The port reform in Morocco was introduced by the Law N°15-02. This Law is principally directed towards the creation of conditions for the improvement of the competitiveness of the ports, the introduction of competition between ports and inland ports, the instauration of single cargo handling and the clarification of the roles of the various players with the aim to respond to the economic changes which the country has experienced, taking account of free trade agreements and the globalisation of trade. In virtue of this Law, two new bodies have been created: -"Agence Nationale des Ports" mainly charged with the missions of a port authority, the regulation of port activities, as well as a mission of harbour master : safety, security and the protection of the port environment -"Société d'Exploitation des Ports", SODEP, charged with missions of a commercial character. In addition, ANP, in virtue of this Law supervises the optimisation of port instrument by the improvement in the competitiveness of the ports, the simplification of procedures and by the modes of organisation and working of the ports. It monitors the freedom of competition in the running of port activities, lays down the list of these activities to be carried out, and the number of authorisations and concessions to grant for each port. It also exercises control on the application of the dispositions of the Law N°15-02 and of the texts issued for its application. The Agency is organised in a General Management with head office in Casablanca and 7 Regional Directorates which include the regional cargo and fishing ports. Besides this, the Regional Directorate of the Straits notably manages the port of Tangiers City in the process of being re-qualified to make it into a cruise port under the management of the Société d'Aménagement du Port du Tanger, SAFT, created for this and of which ANP is shareholder. ANP possesses a training centre called the Institut de Formation Portuaire, IFP which dispenses training courses in various port tradecrafts and professions for the account of ANP, public and private operators of the sector as well as for managers and staff of foreign ports.