Moroccan petition calls for capping fuel prices and a sliding tax

A significant national petition has been launched by Moroccan activists, demanding an end to what they describe as the "tyranny" of fuel prices. The initiative calls for an urgent government decree to establish a ceiling for the retail sale price of fuel, not exceeding 10 dirhams per liter. Furthermore, the activists advocate for the implementation of a "sliding tax" system, which would involve a mechanism to reduce consumer taxes when international prices escalate. The petition, presented formally by the "Citizen Initiative Committee: Capping Fuel Prices, Breaking Monopolies, and Protecting Purchasing Power," was unveiled at a press conference in Rabat. It centers on demands to halt the "tyranny" of fuel prices, cap profits, and crucially, to restart the Samir refinery. The document, addressed to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, cites constitutional provisions and laws on price freedom and competition, empowering the government to intervene in "exceptional circumstances" or "clear market disruption." The activists argue that the government's "unjustified silence" in the face of dwindling Moroccan purchasing power is unacceptable. They point to a perceived disconnect between international and national prices, asserting that immediate domestic price hikes, justified by global fluctuations, are exploitative when the national stock was acquired at lower, previous prices. This, they contend, amounts to "unjust enrichment" at the expense of the populace, especially given the "stubbornness of prices" when international rates fall. The petition also highlights "conflicts of interest," referencing national reports on the dangerous intertwining of "power and money" within the fuel sector, which allegedly hinders sovereign and courageous decisions to protect consumers from the "greed" of distribution companies. The escalating cost of fuel is no longer seen as a sectoral issue but as an "additional tax" driving up the prices of bread, transportation, and vegetables, thereby threatening the social stability of Moroccan families.