DACIA plans Moroccan plants

DACIA will look to double Moroccan output Rabat - Redouane Mabchour Constantin Stroe, vice president of Renault subsidiary firm DACIA has expressed an interest in transferring part of its Romanian business to a new factory in Morocco. The firm, which specialises in car manufacturing and marketing, is looking to relocate as production costs continue to soar in Europe. New DACIA operations would be expected to move to Casablanca, Tangiers and other Moroccan manufacturers. Stroe has claimed the move would be preceded by adding a second production line to business in Morocco, increasing output to 60 cars per hour and 1,340 cars every day by 2014. Renault Morocco group is looking to restore stability to its operations in 2013, following market successes with its new range of vehicles including the Dacia Odji and Dacia Duquer. Renault Morocco already dedicates 10 percent of its production to the country’s auto market, attractive because of cheap labour and laxer tax policies applied by the Moroccan government to attract foreign investment. Stroe’s comments come in the wake of growing demand from factory employees to raise wages by 40 percent. Management have already dismissed the demands as “impossible,” instead offering a nine percent hike for workers.