Moroccan gov't eyes 3 pct/GDP budget deficit by 2016

RABAT (Reuters) - The Moroccan government plans to gradually reduce its budget deficit to 3 percent of GDP by the end of 2016, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party leading the government coalition said on Friday.

Morocco's budget deficit surged to 5.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011 due mostly to higher public spending in a bid to avoid the unrest seen elsewhere across the Arab world.