HIBAPRESS
With the continuous expansion of trade exchanges between Morocco and the European Union countries, the file of Moroccan truck drivers' movement has become one of the most prominent challenges facing the international transport sector, in light of the complexities related to visa procedures and the long time it takes to obtain them, which raises increasing complaints among professionals.
These difficulties coincide with a clear shortage of labor in the transport sector in a number of European countries, where professional estimates indicate that Spain alone needs about 30,000 truck drivers to fill the deficit recorded in this vital field.
In this context, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdelsamad Kayouh, announced that Morocco and the European Union have engaged in joint consultations in order to find practical solutions to simplify the procedures for granting visas for Moroccan drivers and international transport companies.
The Minister explained, in statements on the sidelines of the thirteenth session of the "Logismed" exhibition in Casablanca, that this file was the focus of a remote meeting that brought together, last Monday, Moroccan officials with the European Commissioner in charge of Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
Kayouh pointed out that the discussions mainly addressed the impact of the complexities of European visas on the competitiveness of Moroccan companies in the international transport sector, especially with regard to the transport of goods through Spain to the rest of the European countries.
The Minister described this meeting as "very positive," stressing that a set of short, medium and long-term solutions were presented, which will be discussed later with the Spanish authorities with the aim of accelerating and facilitating the procedures for obtaining visas for Moroccan drivers.
He added that these efforts also fall within the framework of preparing for the adoption of new amendments concerning electronic visa systems, which are expected to come into effect in the coming weeks.
These statements came on the sidelines of the "Logismed" exhibition, one of the most prominent forums specialized in the transport and logistics sector, which was held this year under the slogan: "A smart logistics system connecting areas and reinventing supply chains."
For their part, professionals confirm that the delay in processing visa applications negatively affects the delivery times of goods, and increases operating costs, which directly affects the smoothness of trade exchanges between Morocco and the European markets.
