Chinese Government provides MAD 41.4 million grant for Western High Atlas Geochemical Mapping Project (Linked to Project ID#56442)

According to an online database of development projects (‘Carte des Projets de Développement au Maroc’) maintained by the Budget Directorate of the Government of Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Chinese Government committed MAD 41.4 million of grant funding for the Western High Atlas Geochemical Mapping Project in 2015. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) was the source of funding. This project involved the creation of 4 geochemical maps for Morocco’s Western High Atlas region (la région du Haut Atlas occidental). The ultimate aim of the project was to facilitate the continued sale of Moroccan phosphate fertilizers to China and explore Morocco’s subsoil for other mining resources. Since 1958, Morocco has sold phosphate fertilizers to Sinochem, the leading producer and distributor of fertilizers in China. China Geological Survey (Service géologique de Chine) — a government-owned, not-for-profit, Chinese organization — was responsible for the implementation of this project. Project implementation took place between July 2015 and February 2016. This project passed a final MOFCOM inspection in April 2016. However, according to the Government of Morocco’s Ministry of Finance, the Chinese Government had only disbursed MAD 14,821,200 of grant funding in support of this project as of March 28, 2018.

Additional details

The French project title is Elaboration de quatres cartes géochimiques et géologiques dans la région du Haut Atlas occidental or 04 cartes superposées géologiques et géochimiques au 1/50.000 dans le Haut Atlas. The Chinese project title is 武汉中心援摩洛哥项目. This project may be related to Project ID#56442, which in French is called ‘Elaboration de quatre cartes géochimiques et géologiques dans la region du Haut Atlas occidental’ and roughly translates as "Elaboration of four geochemical and geological maps in the region of the Western High Atlas." This issue merits further investigation.

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9

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9