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Join on Telegram Rabat – Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch said on Wednesday that the government’s 100 days testifies to the loyalty to the promises and commitments announced by the executives during the elections.
On January 19, Akhannouch was the guest of a special broadcast on Morocco’s national channels Al Aoula and 2M on the occasion of the first 100 days of his coalition government.
During the interview, he argued that his government wasted no time and began the work of delivering on major reform promises as soon as they were appointed.
In addition to organizing a number of meetings in Parliament to thoroughly discuss many of the most pressing issues facing Morocco, he added, the new coalition government has used the past Government Councils (14 so far) and parliamentary sessions (22 to date) to detail its visions and provide a roadmap for implementation.
Amid growing popular expectations, Akhannouch stressed that the government is aware of its solemn responsibility to meet Moroccans’ expectations through a democratic process driven by the vision of King Mohammed VI.
On the protests that followed the introduction of mandatory vaccine mandate, Akhannouch said that the government “is sticking to an approach that gives citizens the right to say that they don’t want to be vaccinated but at the end we must adhere to the government’s decision.”
Of his much-discussed absence in the media, he reassured that the government will speak to the media “whenever it is necessary to explain to the citizens the measures we will take.”
Morocco’s decision to extend its COVID travel ban until January 31 affected several tourism professionals, but the Head of Government argued that the border closure “was judicious,” because there was no precise data on the Omicron variant.
While noting that “there is a scientific committee and a ministerial committee that makes decisions that I am obliged to implement,” Akhannouch expressed optimism about the reopening of the borders in the coming weeks.
He also appeared to put forth the government’s determination to revive Morocco’s tourism sector in the midst of far-reaching repercussions from the COVID crisis.
On January 18, Morocco’s government approved an emergency plan worth MAD 2 billion ($216 million) to support the tourism industry.
The emergency plan aims to protect Moroccan businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure the recovery of the sector, and help people in dire circumstances who have lost employment amid the ongoing health crisis.
Increase in products’ prices
Questioned on the recent rise in prices, the Head of Government estimated that inflation in Morocco is under control since it has not exceeded 1.8%. Whereas oil and some other commodities are experiencing a spike in prices due to the COVID-induced disruptions to the global market, he suggested, the prices of most basic products — such as vegetables, fruits and meats of all kinds — have remained stable in Morocco.
“The purchasing power of the citizen has not been affected” due to the Compensation Fund for which an envelope of MAD 17 billion was allocated in the 2022 Finance Bill, Akkounch said, adding that restructuring the fund is currently not part of the government’s agenda.
He also underlined that the government is monitoring the supply and pricing of domestic agricultural products and will intervene at the appropriate time.
Addressing the issue of water scarcity, Akhannouch underlined the existence of ongoing projects to meet Moroccans’ needs in water. Even as the agricultural sector consumes 85% of water resources, the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027 has been working to offer many solutions, including the construction of dams, water desalination and irrigation, he said.
Health, education, and employment
Social policies have been a main topic of contention since the establishment of the Akhannouch-led coalition government. In his interview, the Head of Government stressed that the implementation of the social protection project requires introducing several measures in terms of contributions and benefits to target groups. The social protection project is expected to cost MAD 51 billion by the end of 2026.
In terms of health infrastructure, the social security project aims to enable 11 million Moroccans to benefit from health coverage and 30 million people in the long term.
The government’s social welfare project focuses on improving health, education, and employment.
The 2022 Finance Bill aims to increase the budget of health and education of MAD 9 billion, which will allow, among other things, the rehabilitation of 1,500 small hospitals and 30 regional hospitals.
Akhannouch noted that MAD 500 million will be allocated to people with special needs, and the government has also pledged to ensure the availability of vaccines to all people, while encouraging them to take the booster dose to achieve global immunity.
On education, the government’s vision is to provide equal opportunities in schools and training centers, while teachers will benefit from accompaniment programs of continuous training.
Regarding employment, Akhannouch recalled “Awrach” and “Forsa” programs with a budget of MAD 2.25 billion ($241 million) and MAD 1.25 billion (USD $134 million), respectively.
The “Awrach” program is projected to benefit 125 thousand people in 2022 while “Forsa” initiative aims to benefit small business owners.
Akhannouch highlighted that there is no need to postpone the reform of the pension system beyond the current mandate.
“If we do not intervene, the pension system will experience a total collapse in 2028,” he said, emphasizing that the government operates “in a difficult economic situation, but this issue does not frighten us and we have the capacity and courage to face it.”
