The joy of reunion marred by the economic crisis
Two years after the start of the pandemic, the government decided to lift most of the restrictive measures following the improvement of the epidemiological situation in the country. This year, Moroccans will be able to experience Ramadan as usual, without curfew or closure. A news that delighted the citizens, but also the owners of the cafes, happy to receive their usual customers after the ftour.
We haven’t had our card games with friends at the local café, or even an Ftour by the sea for two years because of the Covid. This year, Moroccans will be able to resume their habits of yesteryear, by going to pray the ” Tarawih at the mosque, followed by a good coffee or a cup of tea at the local café.
” This lifting of restrictive measures was like a breath of fresh air for cafe owners, but also for citizens and customers. People were missing this Ramadan atmosphere after the ftour, going out at night, drinking coffee, like before the pandemic“, confided to us the president of the National Association of Cafe and Restaurant Owners of Morocco, Noureddine Harrak.
On the bosses’ side, this lifting of restrictions after the breakup of the youngster does not have a significant impact on their figures since it is a matter of a few hours of work instead of a full day.
” We are only making a third of the figure compared to the normal season. A small category of cafes, usually located in big cities, may manage to get by and make good numbers by selling special products for Ramadan or by offering Ftour offers, etc. And yet, they are unable to reach the figures achieved in normal times, since a working day is never equal to just a few hours.“, explains Noureddine Harrak, also a café owner.
While affirming that the situation of the café and restaurant sector has improved timidly among some since the lifting of restrictions recently, the president of the Association des patrons de cafés et restaurants du Maroc maintains that the crisis is extremely palpable due to the repercussions of the health crisis.
” At the association, we receive calls from the bosses of the majority of the provinces of the Kingdom, who tell us that since the beginning of the year, there has been a significant decline in their income, probably because of the repercussions of the pandemic that are only felt today, which has seriously impacted their activity“, says Harrak.
Some, he continues, were able to catch up a little during this recent reopening, especially those who have the means to get the machine going again, others resisted the health crisis and were able to hold on to see their cash flow improve little by little. small, he said. But for most, the economic crisis is making itself felt more and more.
” We hope that after Ramadan, we will catch up with tourism and the coming summer and also the opening of the borders with Sebta and Melilla. Otherwise, the sector will sink“, concludes our interlocutor.
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