In an investigation issued, Wednesday, National Public Radio (NPR), a Washington-based media company, revealed that Morocco’s «Tech City» has been abandoned by the Chinese Haite Group, reports Le Desk.
According to a well-informed source at the company that spoke to NPR, Haite «has pulled out altogether» from the project after having a series of problems. Another source at the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom had told NPR that «Haite is no longer involved».
Meanwhile, Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy refused to clarify whether Haite is still part of the project or not. On the other hand, Ilyas El-Omari, the Tangier region president, «obliquely admitted there are problems with Haite and explained that there was a disagreement between Morocco and the Chinese company over who would own the city», wrote NPR.
For the record, in March 2017 King Mohammed VI presided a ceremony attended by Li Biao, the CEO of the Chinese Haite Group who announced the building of a city and industrial zones that will be designed to host 100 Chinese companies and generate investments.
«However, since the opening ceremony — reported with much fanfare in Moroccan media — some experts say the project has stalled», stresses the same source.