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Rabat – As Morocco faces water shortage, King Mohammed VI has instructed Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani to chair a committee to find solutions to the problem.
The monarch gave the order on Monday, while chairing a meeting of the council of ministers in Rabat, in which the issue of dropping water reserves in several regions in the kingdom was discussed.
In recent months, residents of different regions, especially rural areas, have complained about an increasing scarcity of drinking and irrigation water. In cities like Ouazzane, Beni Melal, Zagora, Sefrou and Azelal, Moroccans took to the streets to draw the government’s attention to their suffering.
The King urged the government to find solutions to the crisis in the next few months, said a statement by the royal palace.
Appropriation Draft Bill
At the same meeting, the council of ministers also discussed the 2018 appropriation draft bill.
Mohamed Boussaid, economy and finance minister, said during a presentation of the draft that it is based on four priorities: supporting social sectors, boosting industrialization and private investment, implementing regionalization, and enforcing administration reform.
Monday’s meeting adopted three draft decrees related to the military. The draft intends to set up positions of military attachés to diplomatic missions “in order to reinforce Morocco’s presence in the African continent.”
They also aim at improving the situation of retired army personnel who would benefit from social compensations for their children or children under their guardianship.
Thirteen bilateral and multilateral agreements between Morocco and other countries were approved during the council meeting.
The royal communiqué explained that the approval of the agreements is in line with Morocco’s policy to boost the country’s “credibility” in Africa and internationally.
The meeting approved the “Africa 50” funding and development projects, and the establishment of the platform’s head office in Morocco.
“Africa 50” was set up in July 2015 in a meeting in Casablanca with around USD 700 million in initial capital subscriptions from 20 African states as well as the African Development Bank.
The platform says its objective is to develop infrastructure in the continent through bankable projects and catalyzing investments into shareholder countries.
