Moroccan MPs Push for Inquiry into Government Support for Livestock Importation

Rabat – A group of Moroccan lawmakers has launched an initiative to form a parliamentary fact-finding committee to investigate government support for livestock imports and the livestock sector more broadly.

The initiative comes in the wake of growing public debate over the various forms of government support and exemptions provided to livestock importers since late 2022, said the lawmakers in a press release. 

These measures include exemptions from customs duties and the state’s coverage of value-added tax (VAT) on livestock imports. In addition, the government has offered direct financial support for the importation of sheep intended for slaughter during Eid Al Adha in 2023 and 2024, according to the statement.

It notes that the total cost of these supports and exemptions is estimated to be in the billions of dirhams.

Three parliamentary groups, the Haraki Group, the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) Group, and the Justice and Development Party (PJD) Group, have come together to call for the creation of a parliamentary committee of inquiry. 

They are calling for an investigation into the decision-making process behind these government policies, the effectiveness of the measures, and whether the announced goals and impacts have actually been achieved. 

Lawmakers are also asking about the total financial burden on the state, the number and types of importers who benefited from these measures, and whether they followed the required conditions and standards.

They have also raised concerns about transparency, equal opportunity, and whether this support has truly served the public interest or simply benefited a small group.

Read also: Controversy Intensifies Over Tax Exemption for Livestock Importers in Morocco

“The mentioned parliamentary groups express their sincere desire for all components of the House of Representatives, both majority and opposition, to unite around this initiative,” the joint statement reads.

The goal of this initiative, it said, is to “uncover the full truth, contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of public policies, improve public decision-making and management, ensure that public decisions have a positive impact.”

The controversy behind tax and customs exemptions granted to importers of sheep and cattle also began after conflicting statements by government officials and a stark discrepancy in reported figures. 

Rachid Talbi Alami, Speaker of the House of Representatives and a member of the political office of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), publicly denied statements made by Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water and Secretary-General of the Independence Party (PI), regarding government financial support for livestock importers. 

Baraka had stated that importers received financial support amounting to MAD 1.3 billion. Talbi Alami said that only 100 importers received support, totaling MAD 300 million.

Talbi Alami suggested that Baraka’s statements were made in his capacity as party leader, not as a minister, and were likely politically motivated. 

These figures raised serious questions about the accuracy of official declarations and fueled suspicion that a small, well-connected group of large importers benefited disproportionately, while meat prices in local markets remained high.