Between March and October 2012, some 218 new quarries were opened in Morocco.
In total, 80% were created on privately owned land or in the public water domain. Some 70% were created by corporate entities, suggesting that the sector is in the process of a restructuring.
Of the 1,885 quarries in operation, 307 are temporary sites which are set to be closed after completion of a project, while 1,578 are permanent sites.
In total, 105 quarries were abandoned during this period.
The Minister for Equipment and Transport is now intending to introduce a tax on quarry operators, expected to be fixed at MAD 0.20 (€0.02) per m3 of material sold. The proceeds generated by this tax will go towards a fund which will finance the management, inspections and studies for quarry activity, as well as the supply of vehicles for quarry inspectors.
