HIBAPRESS – Tangier
The file of "Shisha" cafes has returned to the forefront of discussions within the Tangier Communal Council, after a number of elected officials brought the issue up again, amidst the continued stagnation affecting a number of recommendations previously concluded by a communal committee regarding this file.
According to elected sources, part of the previously discussed outcomes have not yet been translated into clear field measures, which has raised questions about the reasons for the delay in their implementation.
The renewal of the discussion coincided with the growing promotion of cafes and restaurants offering "Shisha"-related services through social media platforms, via advertisements and posts showcasing the offers and services provided to customers.
Sources within the council believe that the issue is not only related to the existence of these establishments but also to the extent of their compliance with legal and regulatory controls, especially in cases where the nature of the activities practiced exceeds what is stipulated in the licenses granted to them.
The communal council had previously initiated a process to count and inventory "Shisha" cafes in Tangier, with the aim of determining their administrative and legal status and taking appropriate measures regarding establishments that do not comply with the established rules.
However, elected officials consider that this process has not moved at the required speed from the stage of counting and diagnosis to the stage of field monitoring and follow-up, which has left a number of files, according to the same sources, without clear resolution.
This situation re-raises the question of the fate of the recommendations previously discussed within the council, and the extent of their implementation by the competent authorities, especially concerning warning measures, the regularization of legal statuses, and the monitoring of public property exploitation conditions and compliance with rules regulating commercial and service activities.
The current discussion is expected to bring the file back to the council's agenda, in light of calls for clarification of the measures taken regarding the concerned establishments and the fate of the counting process that was previously launched.
