U.S. provides port safety study grant to Morocco

   The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a $571,458 grant to Morocco to support a feasibility study to improve safety and security at the Port of Casablanca.
   The grant was specifically issued to Marsa Maroc, a major port operator in Morocco.
   The Moroccan government is planning to invest $360 million to modernize the port infrastructure by 2015. The Port of Casablanca currently handles 32 percent of all national port traffic. Another $76.5 million in investments is expected to improve the port’s connectivity to inland transportation.
   Marsa Maroc participated in a USTDA-hosted “reverse” trade mission to the United States in January 2011 to become familiar with the capabilities of U.S. companies in port security and surveillance technology systems. As a result of this trade mission, Marsa Maroc requested this feasibility study in response to the interest from U.S. companies to coordinate on port infrastructure upgrades throughout Morocco.
   USTDA said the study will provide recommendations to ensure that the Port of Casablanca is compliant with the security measures of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS). The study will also recommend operational strategies, including safety and security training modules and a revised standard operation procedures manual, to improve the safety of the work environment.
   The opportunity to conduct the feasibility study will be competed on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) Website. A link to the FBO announcement will be posted on USTDA’s Website. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions in the FBO announcement.