Morocco's proximity to Europe and its cheap labour make it an attractive place. Western companies are competing fiercely for stakes in what is probably North Africa's most advanced programme of privatisation. Moroccans are also counting on their soccer World Cup bid for 2006. After 20 years of doing business the Basri way, Morocco has even begun to tackle the backhander culture. The new king's appointees are at least clean, if inexperienced.
Bribes are less common, and identity cards take hours rather than days to renew.
Ministers openly rail against the evils of corruption, and some businessmen twitch nervously at the prospect of ignominious corruption trials. But many old ways are entrenched. A series of public-sector strikes in December were suppressed by force. Bankers estimate the informal sector now accounts for up to half of Morocco's economy. Although official GDP is stagnant, analysts point to a surge in electricity consumption as a gauge of actual growth.