TUNIS: Moroccan Finance Minister Mohamed Boussaid said on Tuesday Morocco's external borrowing needs this year will reach 2.5 billion euros to plug the deficit estimated at 4.9 pct of the gross domestic product (GDP).

It is not clear, however, when the government will issue foreign bonds, the minister added on the margin of the Arab finance ministers meeting in Tunis. Last year Boussaid said Morocco may raise 1 billion euros in international bonds issue at the start of 2014.