Morocco’s Inflation Rises to 0.9% in March

Morocco’s annual inflation, measured by the consumer price index, rose to 0.9% in March from -0.6% a month earlier, the statistics agency said on Wednesday. Food prices, ‌the main ‌driver of ‌inflation, ⁠rose 0.6% from a year ⁠earlier, while non-food inflation increased 1.1%. Core inflation, which excludes more volatile goods, rose 0.6% year-on-year ⁠and 0.1% month-on-month. The ‌rise ‌in fuel prices following ‌the Iran conflict ‌led the Moroccan government to reintroduce subsidies for professional transporters, including taxis, buses ‌and trucks, to keep prices stable. Fuel subsidies, ⁠along ⁠with aid to keep electricity and cooking gas prices stable, would cost the government 1.6 billion dirhams ($170 million) monthly, the minister in charge of the budget, Fouzi Lekjaa, said.