Taza Merchants Demand Accelerated Reconstruction After Devastating Fire

Traders in Taza's ancient medina are voicing deep discontent and a sense of helplessness as the reconstruction of their destroyed shops crawls along. Over seven months after a fire ravaged the Qubbat al-Souk market, turning stalls into ashes, merchants are increasingly frustrated by what they describe as the sluggish pace of repair and rehabilitation work.

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Growing frustration, discontent, and a sense of despair and helplessness prevail among traders who lost their shops.

Local sources indicate that the initial project plans, which included financial and technical studies and budget approvals, promised traders the return of their shops by the end of May. However, a shift in strategy by the regional committee overseeing the project, from repair and restoration to demolition and rebuilding, has led to significant delays, with no new completion date set. This change, coupled with the slow progress and a small work crew, has prolonged the traders' financial and emotional suffering.

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The preparation for the project took weeks of financial and technical studies and budget approval. Traders who lost their shops were promised they would be back by the end of last May, but it did not happen.

The delay is particularly acute during the summer season, a crucial period for commercial activity in the old city, which typically sees a revival after a year-long lull. Traders fear losing customer appeal and are concerned that the extended closure, potentially exceeding a year, will deepen their losses. With only 15% of the work completed, their anxieties are mounting.

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That change in the work schedule and its pace has increased the pain of the traders who were burned by the fire of waiting after difficult months, prolonging their material and moral suffering and their state of homelessness.

The impact of the fire and the subsequent market closure extends beyond the affected shop owners, disrupting the flow of the historic city center, a key entrance to Taza. Merchants are urgently calling for accelerated work and greater oversight, emphasizing the need for meticulous planning and continuous monitoring to ensure accountability. The overall rehabilitation project, aimed at restoring the commercial space and compensating affected traders, has a budget of 10.25 million dirhams, funded by various government ministries and regional bodies.

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Traders are afraid of losing the attractiveness of their shops to customers, and of the impact of the long closure, which may exceed a year, especially since the work completion rate has not reached 15 percent so far.