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Rabat – Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq outlined a support program dedicated to improving the socio-economic situation of imams across Morocco.
In response to questions from MPs on Tuesday, the minister said that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs allocated a budget estimated at MAD 1.93 billion ($192 million) to improve imams’ situations.
He said that the budget is divided between monthly incentives, health coverage, and training.
As explained by Toufiq, the new budget gradually increases the monthly incentives for imams, with the total amount of the increase reaching MAD 1,200 ($120) this year.
The minimum monthly incentives increased between MAD 2,300 ($228.85) and MAD 2,600 ($258.70) for imams and between MAD 2,500 ($248.75) and MAD 3,700 ($368.15) for 78% of religious persons who practice other tasks in addition to serving as imams.
Toufiq noted that imams have possessed access to a health coverage system since 2007.
“Access to health coverage has been generalized in 2014 to all religious personnel, including preachers and mosque inspectors,” the minister reported.
Toufiq remarked that the health coverage system benefits from an annual budget estimated at MAD 229.8 million ($22.86 million).
Mosques rehabilitation
Toufiq also addressed questions concerning mosques, responding that the Islamic ministry allocated “important” financial funds estimated at MAD 300 million annually to improve mosques’ governance and mosque rehabilitation programs.
Since 2011, Morocco rehabilitated 1,382 mosques out of 3,665 for a budget of nearly MAD 2.4 billion ($238.8 million), Toufiq noted.
Despite such efforts, the minister pointed to the 1,225 mosques that require rehabilitation for a budget estimated at MAD 2 billion ($199 million).
The number of mosques that close annually ranges between 200 and 250 mosques.
Morocco is home to over 50,000 mosques.
