The ministry's aims to establish nationwide e-services for urban agencies by September 2020.
Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of National Planning, Urban Development, Housing, and Urban Policy (MUAT) has decided to establish e-services within the 29 urban agencies that operate under its management, aiming to reduce physical paperwork during the COVID-19 crisis.
The decision follows Minister of National Planning Nezha Bouchareb’s March 20 circular, calling on agencies to maintain quality services via remote assistance and online services, the ministry indicated in a press release.
To date, the ministry has adopted 19 pandemic response measures, mainly related to the issuance of the online information service “e-note.”
Measures include filling requests and complaints remotely (“e-requests”) and the online payment of duties and taxes (“e-services”).Measures also include posting results related to the commission’s examination of planning requests, and posting approved planning documents )”Geoportail”).
Citizens and companies can also consult town and market regulations, as well as their documentation on urban agencies’ websites.
MUAT’s decision also includes creating phone lines to respond to information requests and offering technical assistance to help people adapt to the new digitized services. The decision also aims to promote the use of QR codes.
The new measures will also include creating authoritative social media accounts, and continuously updating them for users on computers and smartphones.
Sixty-nine percent of urban agencies now allow Moroccans to file and obtain urban planning information online.
The digitalization of public services is a preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus, for its role in reducing the use of tangible materials that could result in virus transmission.
“The establishment of these e-services is part of the ministry’s efforts to speed up the installation of e-administration,” the press release stated.
The ministry aims to establish a nationwide e-service for urban agencies by September 2020, as well as a charter to organize the services.
Solidarity in physical distancing
Moroccan School of Engineering Sciences (EMSI) students developed three medical inventions that could help fight the spread of COVID-19, including “Moroccan Electronic Perspective.” The mobile application allows people at pharmacies to present a doctor’s prescription electronically, to communicate the medication they need without relying on a piece of paper.
“The digitalization of the medical prescription has become a necessity in Morocco,” EMSI said in a press release.
The consulting doctor sends the electronic prescription to any pharmacy. The patient identifies their pharmacy with a QR code and receives the medication, with no physical contact between patient and pharmacist.
Morocco imposed a new measure to limit physical contact on April 7, requiring any person who leaves their home to wear a protective face mask at the risk of a fine or jail time.
The country announced a new total of 1,114 COVID-19 cases, including 88 recoveries and 83 fatalities, the same day.
Read also: El Othmani: Morocco at a ‘Critical Stage’ in Fight Against COVID-19
