Chaotic. Having always been so, the "Garage Allal" commercial area is even more so in recent days. 40,000 street vendors and other ferracha operate there every day, according to a census operation carried out by the Economic and Social Division, under the Al-Fida Mers-Sultan prefecture. Naturally, this figure tends to double during weekends, knowing that the whole area houses less than 4,000 shops. That makes a total of 10 ferracha for one licensed trader on a normal day. Very harsh, the competition is above all unfair given the situation that prevails.
The advent of the holy month a few days ago had the effect, as usual, of worsening the situation. New "stalls" have emerged, exclusively dedicated to the Ramadan basket, made of pancakes, traditional cheese and other dishes prized during this period.
"During Ramadan, the number of street vendors can easily reach 60,000, and at the end of the week, the situation worsens even more," explains Mohammed Dahbi, coordinator of the General Union of Enterprises and Professions (UGEP). The latter deplores the state of affairs today. Some street vendors are said to be dealing in expired products, which is harmful to the reputation enjoyed by the Garage Allal area, known for wholesale and semi-wholesale sales. "Honest traders contribute to the development of the city, through the various fees they pay, so it is inconceivable not to protect them and, worse still, to let them sink because of vendors who pay no tax," protests Dahbi. In this sense, some traders have seen their turnover drop by more than 50%. At the same time, the fight against the phenomenon of street vendors at the level of other prefectures is one of the parameters strongly contributing to the situation that Garage Allal is experiencing today. "Faced with the laxity of the authorities, vendors chased away elsewhere come to settle in Garage Allal, knowing in advance that they would not be bothered at all," underlines Mohammed Dahbi. During one of its meetings, the UGEP tried to evaluate the money generated by these operations of renting a plot of public space, for commercial purposes, and this, in complete illegality. On average, the rental prices for about ten m² fluctuate between 20 and 150 DH per day, or even much more depending on the location of the area to be rented. For an average of 30 DH per day in rent, which is below the real prices, that makes a jackpot of 1.2 MDH that circulates from hand to hand at Garage Allal.
Transactions that take place under the complicit gaze of the authority agents who, for their part, take care of organising everything (traffic, disputes, etc.) "It is clear that this illegal trade is managed in a very organised way by lobbies that have no interest in it stopping. The authorities do not want to do anything and act as they please. How to explain that during the stays of H.M. the King in Casablanca, all the street vendors disappear, only to resurface the very day after his departure? In the meantime, the traders who pay their taxes are in agony," concludes the UGEP coordinator.
Insecurity
The state of affairs at Garage Allal is such that, in addition to the shop fronts squatted by street vendors, the neighbouring arteries and boulevards are almost blocked. Access to certain places requires a lot of effort and patience, not to mention a good dose of vigilance. Indeed, the number of thugs who frequent the place has recorded a dizzying resurgence in recent months. Proof of this is the significant number of complaints filed at the Al-Fida Mers-Sultan District. Complaints filed both by individuals passing through Garage Allal who were victims of armed robbery, and by traders. Recently, two spice merchants were victims of theft. The first was relieved of a large sum of money, while the second's shop was visited at night by criminals, who relieved him of his... safe. A jeweller also paid the price for the thieves who frequent the area.
