Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020

Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020
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Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020

Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020

Compulsory insurance against natural and terrorist disaster damages will begin in Morocco in early 2020, according to Nouman Essami, director at the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance.

His comments were made Monday during the opening of the 26th Afro-Asian Federation of Insurance and Reinsurance (FAIR) Conference held in Morocco.

Essami pointed out that the mechanism of securing catastrophic cases in Morocco, whether resulting from nature or from human activities such as terrorism, has been put in place in recent years.

He said all the concerned legal provisions are ready in addition to the formation of a solidarity fund against disasters.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Supervisory Authority of Insurance and Social Welfare (ACAPS) Hassan Boubrik told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new insurance act will be compulsory and cover all Moroccan residents.

On how the insurance works, Boubrik said it would be included as a special article in all insurance contracts, except for life insurance.

For those who do not have insurance contracts, Boubrik explained that they will benefit from the newly created Disaster Solidarity Fund, whose director has been recently appointed by the Moroccan King.

He said the Fund will be operational starting early 2020.

The Conference kickstarted Monday in Marrakech and witnessed the participation of 1,100 insurance and reinsurance companies from both continents.

The general assembly of the Afro-Asian FAIR has elected Morocco as president of the federation for the next two years.

FAIR’s board of directors handed over the presidency from Bahrain’s Yassir al-Baharna to Morocco’s Youssef Fassi Fihri during the opening ceremony.

The Kingdom is a founding member of the Afro-Asian FAIR in 1964 in line with the implementation of the principles of the Bandung Declaration on cooperation among Non-Aligned Countries.



Oil Prices Slide as Tepid Chinese Demand Counters US Output Concerns

This photoraph shows an oil well in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on July 23, 2024. (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV / AFP)
This photoraph shows an oil well in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on July 23, 2024. (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV / AFP)
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Oil Prices Slide as Tepid Chinese Demand Counters US Output Concerns

This photoraph shows an oil well in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on July 23, 2024. (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV / AFP)
This photoraph shows an oil well in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on July 23, 2024. (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV / AFP)

Oil prices edged lower on Tuesday, as fears of weaker demand in China weighed on market sentiment, while focus turned to the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting that concludes on Wednesday.

Providing a floor to prices were prospects of lower US crude stockpiles and concerns over US production in the aftermath of Hurricane Francine.

Brent crude futures for November were down 48 cents, or 0.66% to $72.27 a barrel, as of 1002 GMT. US crude futures for October slipped 37 cents, or 0.53%, to $69.72 a barrel, Reuters reported.

"Oil prices have been in recovery mode since Wednesday, perhaps on supply concerns after Hurricane Francine in the US Gulf of Mexico, as well as expectations of lower US crude stockpiles," said Charalampos Pissouros, senior investment analyst at brokerage XM.

"That said, prices are pulling back today, perhaps as participants considered the aforementioned developments as temporary variables in the oil equation, remaining worried about weakening global demand, especially in China."

In China, oil refinery output fell for a fifth month in August amid declining fuel demand and weak export margins, government data showed on Saturday.

Both contracts settled higher in the previous session as output remained constrained. More than 12% of crude production and 16% of natural gas output in the US Gulf of Mexico remained offline due to Hurricane Francine, according to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on Monday.

The Fed is expected to start its easing cycle on Wednesday, with Fed funds futures showing markets are now pricing in a 69% chance that the US central bank will cut rates by 50 basis points.

"The Fed is expected to lower interest rates for the first time in more than four years this week ... but recent weak economic data and hawkish comments by members of the Fed have led investors to believe the move could be more aggressive," Panmure Liberum analyst Ashley Kelty said.

A lower interest rate will reduce the cost of borrowing and can potentially lift oil demand by supporting economic growth.
Investors were also watching out for an expected drop in US crude inventories, which likely fell by about 200,000 barrels in the week ended Sept. 13, based on a Reuters poll.