Since yesterday, gas prices in Morocco have increased, prompting many motorists to rush to stations to fill their tanks before the new rates took effect. Meanwhile, some stations temporarily closed, citing depleted stocks, which angered customers and led consumer protection associations to call on the government to intervene and regulate the market. DR ‹ › Gas stations across Morocco began raising fuel prices yesterday, with diesel increasing by about two dirhams per liter and gasoline by around one and a half dirhams. Ahead of the hike, many stations saw long lines as motorists rushed to fill their tanks before the new prices took effect. According to observations by Yabiladi, some stations closed their pumps, saying they had run out of fuel while waiting for midnight to apply the new prices. Others did not wait until midnight and increased their prices hours earlier, sparking frustration among motorists. Videos circulating on social media show several citizens calling for government intervention. Speaking to Yabiladi, Mohammed Benkaddour, president of the National Federation of Consumer Protection Associations, described the behavior of some distributors as «unethical». «Everyone expected the price increases, but some stations decided to raise their prices hours earlier», he said. He added that stations that respected the midnight deadline experienced heavy traffic and long queues, while criticizing those that claimed their fuel had run out while waiting to apply the higher prices. Benkaddour also argued that the increase could have been avoided, pointing out that Moroccan law requires the country to maintain strategic fuel reserves covering two months of national demand. «What Moroccans are buying today at international market prices was actually purchased before the conflict in the Middle East erupted», he said. For its part, the Moroccan League for Citizenship and Human Rights expressed deep concern over the latest fuel price hikes, calling them «shocking and unjustified» at a time when the country is facing a difficult economic and social situation. In a statement, the organization denounced «price increases that directly affect citizens' purchasing power, at a time when wages remain stagnant while the cost of living continues to rise». It also called for an urgent and transparent investigation into the profits made by fuel companies in Morocco and the margins they apply. Calls for government intervention The League urged authorities to review the policy of fuel price liberalization, saying it has failed to adequately protect consumers. It also called for the reactivation of compensation mechanisms or other effective support measures to stabilize prices and ease the burden on citizens. The organization further called on the government to take «urgent measures to regulate the fuel market and limit the dominance of energy lobbies». Benkaddour also stressed that the state should intervene under these exceptional circumstances. «These conditions should not be used to put additional pressure on citizens' pockets. It is not too late for the state to step in», he told Yabiladi. Fuel prices in Morocco were liberalized on January 1, 2015, when the government removed subsidies on diesel, gasoline, and fuel oil. Since then, prices have been tied to fluctuations on international markets and competition between companies operating in the sector. Retail prices are updated twice a month, on the first and the sixteenth, by fuel distributors. As a result, fuel prices shifted from state regulation to market liberalization. However, Law No. 104.12 on freedom of prices and competition allows the government to intervene in exceptional circumstances. Article 4 of the law states that authorities may take temporary measures against excessive price increases or decreases, after consulting the Competition Council, in cases of exceptional circumstances, disasters, or clearly abnormal market situations affecting a specific sector. The same provision specifies that such measures cannot exceed six months, although they may be extended once by the administration.
