Rabat – Digitization is now a “must,” a necessary step to simplify administrative procedures and allow better access to services and information, says Hassan Belkhayat, the president of the Tech Committee President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM).
Speaking on the sidelines of a public debate on digitizing the Moroccan administration, Belkhayat drew attention to the importance of involving all stakeholders, including citizens and consumers, to ensure a successful digital transition.
According to Belkhayat, engaging all stakeholders would bring about a positive impact on economic development in Morocco, territorial development, and the various challenges the country faces in terms of digitization and simplification of administrative processes, as well as the interaction between the state and its citizens.
Ghita Mezzour, Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform
Read also: Morocco’s Annual Financial Plan to Support Administrative Reform
Noting some of the main challenges facing Morocco’s digital transition, he explained that the public procurement code currently hinders the involvement of the private sector in this digitization effort.
He added that there is a significant number of administrative procedures that need to be simplified and transformed collectively.
“The shortage of training, or rather, the shortage of engineers and developers capable of supporting the country and finding solutions to make the country attractive for such talent, both in the public sector and in the context of digital public-private partnerships,” Belkhayat said.
Organized by the business-focused magazine La Vie Eco, the debate discussed the reform of the Moroccan administration through digitization on September 26 in Casablanca.
Attendees listening to the debate on the digital transition and administrative reforms
On her part, Mezzour noted that King Mohammed VI had urged for digitized public services to facilitate procedures and enhance the quality of public services.
Read also: Bureaucracy: Morocco to Reduce Paperwork Required from Investors by 45%
Recalling the achievements Morocco has made in the sector so far, Mezzour said that the Massar platform, which allows parents to monitor their children’s performance at school, is a successful example of digitizing for positive impact.
She referenced the Taawidaty platform, which enables residents to obtain online information about their benefits in the health sector and is run by the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).
For future national milestones, Mezzour insisted that digitizing public services would require the development of information security aspects.
Morocco has in recent years made significant strides in digitizing administrative procedures. In January 2022, official sources confirmed the digitization of 2,700 administrative procedures, a major step forward to reduce bureaucracy.
Panelists deliberating on the digital transition and administrative reforms
Digitization promises inclusive development and has much to offer to Morocco’s vision of decentralization. With Morocco’s high Internet penetration rate exceeding 90%, the digitization of public services will eliminate the need for citizens to travel miles to file for government-issued documents.
Fahd Iraqi, director of La VieEco
National and international recommendations for socio-economic development all indicate the need to digitize in order to scale economic integration and territorial equity.
In a 2021 report, Morocco’s Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (ESEC) recommended facilitating administrative services as a means of addressing the challenges posed by the illegal informal economy.
