By Ebi Kesiena
Morocco has insisted on Thursday to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in October, but the two institutions have not shown full commitment.
According to three people familiar with their discussions, the IMF and World Bank are still assessing whether the Oct. 9-15 meetings can be safely held in Marrakech, just 45 miles (72 kilometres) from the site of the 6.8-magnitude quake that killed more than 2,900 people last Friday.
The meetings would bring 10,000 to 15,000 people to the tourist hub, which suffered some damage to its ancient medina quarter and is the main conduit for relief efforts to areas worst-hit by the quake in the High Atlas Mountains.
Sources at the IMF and World Bank told The Associated Press that they are assessing whether the meetings might hinder recovery efforts.
Other considerations are security and lodging safety and whether Marrakech’s infrastructure, including water and power systems and hospitals can handle the influx of people without straining the country’s resources.
However, Morocco’s Central Bank Governor, Abdellatif Jouahri, told a “Road to Marrakech” central banking conference on Thursday that the meetings would take place as planned, in one of the first official government comments on the matter. The conference was being held in preparation for the meetings, he said.
A spokesperson for Morocco’s embassy in Washington also told Reuters in an email: “I am pleased to inform you that the government of Morocco will go ahead with the annual meeting as scheduled despite the earthquake.”
