Morocco Government says the country produced 400,000 cars in 2018 and it projected a higher number in 2019.

Minister of Foreign affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu addresses the media at a past event in Antalya, Turkey. (Photo: CGTN)

According to the Prime Minister and head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani, that figure will exceed 500,000 cars in 2019 and that car manufacturing in Morocco is set to reach one million per year by 2023.

Speaking at a monthly questions session at Parliament’s House of Representatives, El Othmani announced that Morocco is today “the largest producer and exporter of cars on the African continent”.

He made the remarks on December 30, answering questions from opposition parties.

Morocco’s automotive industry is one of the pillars of the country’s economy, with several international companies investing in its industrial zones, such as Tangier, and Kenitra.

PSA, Renault-Nissan, and car parts manufacturers are investing in the country, providing both direct and indirect job opportunities.

El Othmani said that the automotive sector in Morocco created  117,000 direct jobs between 2017 and 2018, exceeding expectations. The government’s ultimate goal was to reach 90,000 jobs in 2020.