* Graft destroys 2 pct of Morocco's GDP -minister
* Transparency International sceptical
RABAT, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Morocco unveiled a two-year planon Friday aimed at fighting corruption, saying graft destroys 2percent of gross domestic product and saps its "culturalvalues".
Among 43 new measures are asset declarations for top stateofficials, government protection of anti-graft whistle-blowers,anti-graft classes in schools and channels for the public toreport graft and extortion by government officials.
The government agrees with opposition critics that graftsqueezes foreign investment and distorts the free market, whichMorocco badly needs to spur growth and tackle poverty.
"With this plan to prevent corruption and fight it, we entera new stage of determination to achieve results in implementingthis programme," Public Sector Modernisation Minister MohamedSaad El Alami told a news conference.
"It is difficult to gauge corruption's cost as it is secret,but estimates put the loss to Morocco's economy from thisscourge at about 2 percent of the GDP," said Alami. "Corruptionsaps our cultural and social values. It undermines thefoundations and roots of our society."
Alami said the plan will start in earnest in early 2011 andlast into the following year.
Morocco was ranked 89th out of 180 countries last year on anindex of corruption compiled by anti-graft watchdog TransparencyInternational. The watchdog reacted with scepticism to Friday'sannouncement.
"They did not ask for ideas and views from business andcivic groups. We have heard this talk before," said RachidMeknassi, head of Transparency International's local chapter.The European Union, Morocco's main trading partner, haspraised Morocco's reforms to improve infrastructure, developrenewable energy production and boost agriculture, tourism andmanufacturing in the past 10 years. But it says deep-rootedcorruption throttles foreign investment interest.(Reporting by Lamine Ghanmi; Editing by Peter Graff)
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