A new report from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has warned that the 4% economic growth rate of North African countries is insufficient to address their economic and social challenges such as the fight against unemployment.
The report is to be presented during the 28th intra-governments experts’ committee summit which began Tuesday in Rabat, Morocco.
The report compared the growth rate of North African countries with those of countries from Asia and the Pacific which have recorded an average growth rate of 8.5%.
It deplored the slow pace of economic and social development in North African countries and raised the issue of the lack of adequacy between the productive apparatus and the structure of the exports of the North African countries.
It therefore said that there was an urgent need for them to work towards the diversification and sophistication of their exports.
Exports from North African countries are mainly made of raw materials which prices in the international markets are very unstable.
The countries participating in the 26 February to 1 March summit include Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan and Tunisia.
Pana 27/02/2013