The Impact of Liberalizing the Telecommunication Sector in Morocco

Achy, Lahcen (2005): The Impact of Liberalizing the Telecommunication Sector in Morocco.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the major developments recorded in telecommunication sector in Morocco and assess the impact of regulating the telecommunication sector in Morocco along the European Union lines. The basic assumption underlying this work is the following. Further liberalization of various market segments of the telecommunication sector would benefit communications intensive industries that provide key “backbone services” to the economy, such as transport, distribution and finance. It would also improve competitiveness of exporting industries by reducing their costs and facilitating their integration to transnational production networks. The quality and price of telecommunication services directly affect business costs, but also affects the capacity of firms to network and compete in foreign and domestic markets. Finally, development of telecommunication services sector would create more investment opportunities for the domestic private sector, and help attract more FDI and portfolio investment.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Telecommunication services, liberalization, Morocco
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration; L - Industrial Organization > L9 - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities > L96 - Telecommunications; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C6 - Mathematical Methods ; Programming Models ; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling > C67 - Input-Output Models

References

Achy, L. and A. Hassani (2005), The Impact of Liberalizing International Trade of Banking Services in Morocco, country paper prepared for the Femise Project

Achy, L., and J. Milgram (2003), Does a Free Trade Area Favor an Optimum Currency Area? The Case of Morocco and the European Union, in Achy L. (eds.), Management du Taux de Change au Maroc, INSEA, Rabat, 15-32.

Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications, Rapport d’activité (2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004).

Boughzala, M. (2005), “Competition in Telecommunication in Tunisia”, Country paper prepared for Femise project

Boylaud, O. and G. Nicoletti (2000) "Regulation, Market Structure and Performance in Telecommunications”, Economics Department Working Papers No. 237, Paris: OECD

Chater M. & B. Hamdouch (2001), Impact des Accords de Libre Echange Euro Méditerranéens: Cas du Maroc, Report for FEMISE, network, www.femise.org.

Chater, M. (2004), “Instauration d’une zone de libre-échange et politique d’accompagnement: le cas du Maroc”, Région et Développement, n°19, p.83-103, 2004.

Deardorff, A. V. and R. Stern (2004), "Empirical analysis of barriers to international services transactions and the consequences of liberalization" in the World Bank course on "Trade in Services and international trade agreements: the development dimension

Erkan Akdemir, Erdem Başçı and Sübidey Togan (2005), “EU integration and the telecommunications sector: The case of Turkey”

Haut Commissariat au Plan (2003), "Comptes et Agrégats de la nation 1980-2002", Rabat, Maroc.

Hoeckman, B. (1995), "Assessing the General Agreement on Trade in Services", in Will Martin and L. Alan Winters (eds) The Uruguay Round and the Developing Economies, World Bank Discussion Paper N°. 307. Washington, D.C.

International Telecommunication Union (2001), “Effective regulation: case study: Morocco”.

International Telecommunication Union (2004), “Shaping the future mobile information society: The case of Morocco”.

Kingdom of Morocco, Law 24-96 relating to post and telecommunications and Law 55-01 modifying and completing the law 24-96.

McGuire, G. and M. Schuele (2000) "Restrictiveness of International Trade in Banking Services", in Impediments to Trade in Services: Measurement and Policy Implications, ed. by C. Findlay and T. Warren, London: Routledge.

Rosotto C. M., K. Sekkat and A. Varoudakis, "Opening up Telecommunications to competition and MENA integration in the World economy", Journal of International Development, forthcoming.

Rutherford T.F., E.E. Rutström, and D. Tarr (1997), “Morocco’s free trade agreement with the EU: a quantitative assessment”, Economic Modelling, vol. 14, p.237-269, 1997.

Trewin, R. (2000), “A Price-impact Measure of Impediments to Trade in Telecommunications Services”, in C. Findlay and T. Warren (editors), Impediments to Trade in Services, London and New York: Routledge Studies, chapter 7.

Warren, T. (2000a) "The Identification of Impediments to Trade and Investment in Telecommunications Services" in Impediments to Trade in Services: Measurement and Policy Implications, ed. by C. Findlay and T. Warren, London: Routledge.

Warren, T. (2000b) "The Impact on Output of Impediments to Trade and Investment in Telecommunications Services" in Impediments to Trade in Services: Measurement and Policy Implications, ed. by C. Findlay and T. Warren, London: Routledge.

World Bank (2004) “World Development Indicators”, Washington, D.C

WTO (2002), “Trade in services: Kingdom of Morocco, Schedule of Specific Commitments”, GATS/SC/57/Suppl.2/Rev.1