Rabat – The High Commission for Planning (HCP) has released a study showing that just over half of surveyed Moroccan households trust the government of Morocco to lift the lockdown in a “satisfactory” manner.
Moroccans’ confidence in the ability of public authorities to achieve deconfinement “varies according to the areas of the intervention,” reports the HCP’s study on the impact of COVID-19 impacts on the economic, social, and psychological situation of households.
Jumpstarting the economy
Morocco’s decision to return workers to their workplaces earned the approval of 55% of households, while 27.% were not very confident in the move.
Only 4.8% show discontent, saying they were not satisfied at all with the decision.
Approximately 45.8% are completely confident that Morocco was able to assist the economic sectors most affected by the pandemic and lockdown. Meanwhile, 30.2% reported being “somewhat confident” while 7.5% said they are not satisfied at all.
Public transport is also among the activities that Morocco eased lockdown measures for, with buses, trains, and taxis permitted to operate at a 50% capacity rate.
The HCP’s study shows that 45.4% of citizens believe authorities organized public transport in a satisfactory manner, while 32.3% were somewhat confident.
Approximately 12.4% of citizens were not at all confident about Morocco’s means to organize public transport.
Distance education and baccalaureate exams
The study shows that 54.4% of households were completely confident in the ability of public authorities in Morocco to ensure the best conditions for school exams amid the lockdown and state of emergency, while 21.8% were not very confident.
Only 3.7% said they were not confident at all.
Morocco’s government suspended schools on March 16. The Ministry of Education quickly mobilized distance education through classes on national television channels, radio stations, and newly-designed websites to encourage the continuation of learning amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Morocco canceled all exams except baccalaureate, university, and vocational training exams.
The ordinary sessions of the second-year baccalaureate exams took place earlier this month. The Moroccan government reported being satisfied with the outcome and the preventive measures in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Public safety
Morocco is still under partial lockdown and a state of emergency, but the government is currently pursuing a strategy to lift restrictions on movement and economic activities, as well as domestic tourism to revive the country’s economy.
More than half (50.3%) of households are totally confident authorities applied sufficient protective measures in public spaces, while 28.9% are not very confident. Some 10.6% are not content with the measures.
The HCP carried out the study from June 15-24 with a sample of 2,169 households. The HCP’s main objective is to understand the evolution of socioeconomic and preventive measures in the context of COVID-19.
The study also intends to evaluate the repercussions of the health crisis on the different strata of Morocco’s population in terms of access to education, health care, employment, and income, the HCP said.
