Morocco Pushes Citizen Welfare Forward with Ambitious Social Protection Overhaul

Rabat – The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, chaired a meeting in Rabat today to evaluate the progress of Morocco’s sweeping social protection reform, a landmark initiative designed to expand health coverage and social benefits to millions across the country.

The ministerial commission assessed progress across key programs, discussed strategies to expand social protections, and reviewed updates on their implementation.

Akhannouch expressed the government’s commitment to fostering fair and sustainable social policies, stating that the program relies on the collaboration of ministerial departments to guarantee equal access to health and social services.

The commission reported major progress in expanding health coverage through the “AMO Tadamoun” program, which now benefits over 11.1 million vulnerable Moroccans.

These beneficiaries receive free medical care and hospitalization in public health facilities, along with the same benefits available under private-sector insurance, with the government covering 30% of the costs.

The swift adoption of 28 decrees has also accelerated the rollout of health and retirement schemes for self-employed workers and private-sector professionals under the AMO TNS program.

As of October 2024, the system has enrolled approximately 3.8 million people, including 1.7 million contributors and 1.2 million dependents.

Meanwhile, the direct social aid program, launched in December 2023, has provided support to around 4 million families – benefiting 5.4 million children and 1.2 million elderly citizens. This initiative strives to improve exponentially living standards and protect vulnerable groups from risks tied to childhood and aging.

A key focus of the meeting was the role of the newly created National Social Support Agency, which recently held its first board meeting to boost coordination and execution of social policies, addressing challenges in delivering direct aid programs effectively.

The meeting brought together senior officials, including the minister of interior, the minister of economy and finance, and the minister of health and social protection, along with representatives from national social security and pension agencies.