Morocco Allows Individuals to Open Hard-Currency Accounts

A currency dealer counts Moroccan dirhams in a photo illustration at a currency exchange point in Casablanca, Morocco,June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal/Illustration
A currency dealer counts Moroccan dirhams in a photo illustration at a currency exchange point in Casablanca, Morocco,June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal/Illustration
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Morocco Allows Individuals to Open Hard-Currency Accounts

A currency dealer counts Moroccan dirhams in a photo illustration at a currency exchange point in Casablanca, Morocco,June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal/Illustration
A currency dealer counts Moroccan dirhams in a photo illustration at a currency exchange point in Casablanca, Morocco,June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal/Illustration

Moroccans who receive income from foreign sources are now allowed to open a hard-currency account or a convertible dirham account. Earlier, the income had to be converted to the Moroccan dirham within one month maximum of collecting the amount.

The Foreign Exchange Office (Office des Changes), that controls the system of foreign exchange, announced the new procedures to simplify the exchange operations carried out by residing individuals.

The procedures include uplifting the limit of the currency allocated for tourism, and e-trade – they also empower migrant Moroccans who transferred their taxation residency to Morocco in order to settle the fees and dues of loans related to licensed premises abroad.

The statement revealed that the new prerequisites allow banks to open a hard-currency account or a convertible dirham account for individuals unregistered in the commercial register and who receive incomes from foreign sources so that they cover their current spending abroad.

As for the fees and dues resulting from abroad real-estate loans, the statement determined the percentage of allowed transactions at 5 of the property value.

In the same context, the Foreign Exchange Office declared doubling the limit of amounts allocated for tourism from MAD100k to MAD200k (USD10.5k to USD21k) per annum. The remaining amount can be used at the end of the year to cover the coming year’s tourism expenses.

The Office further rose the annual limit of amounts dedicated to e-commerce from MAD10k to MAD15k (USD1.05k to USD1.58k).



Oil Prices Edge up as Market Assesses Trump's Tariff Plans

FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
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Oil Prices Edge up as Market Assesses Trump's Tariff Plans

FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo

Oil prices picked up on Tuesday, after the previous session's sell-off, as the market assessed US President-elect Donald Trump's planned trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada and his aim to increase US crude production.

Oil prices had fallen more than $2 a barrel on Monday after multiple reports that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to the terms of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. A senior Israeli official said Israel looks set to approve a US plan for a ceasefire on Tuesday, but some analysts said Monday's sell-off in oil prices had been overdone.

Brent crude futures were up 43 cents, or 0.6%, at $73.44 a barrel as of 1414 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $69.38 a barrel, up 44 cents, or 0.6%.

Brent crude futures fluctuated between $73.30 and $73.80 a barrel in afternoon trading.

"Today’s intra-day fluctuations are probably more of the function of assessing Trump’s overnight pledge to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.

On Monday, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the US from Mexico and Canada.

The vast majority of Canada's 4 million bpd of crude exports go to the US Analysts have said it is unlikely Trump would impose tariffs on Canadian oil, which cannot be easily replaced since it differs from grades that the US produces.

On Monday, Reuters reported that Trump's team is also preparing an energy package to roll out within days of his taking office that would increase oil drilling.

A senior executive at Exxon Mobil said on Tuesday that US oil and gas producers are unlikely to "radically increase'' production.

OPEC+ MEETING

Market reaction on Monday to the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire news was "over the top" as the broader Middle East conflict has "never actually disrupted supplies significantly to induce war premiums" this year, said senior market analyst Priyanka Sachdeva at Phillip Nova.

Elsewhere, OPEC+ at its next meeting on Sunday may consider leaving its current oil output cuts in place from Jan. 1. The producer group is already postponing hikes amid global demand worries.