Rabat – Morocco is preparing an unprecedented reform of its pharmaceutical policy as part of the 2026 Finance Bill.
Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, announced a record reduction of customs duties on 112 pharmaceutical products, with rates set to fall from 30% to just 2.5% next year.
The move aims to lower medication costs for patients, strengthen the country’s health security, and ensure the long-term viability of medical coverage systems.
The announcement came during Lekjaa’s presentation of the detailed draft budget and the performance report for the Ministry of Health.
He outlined a deep restructuring of the fiscal regime applied to pharmaceutical products, with the stated goal of improving access to treatment while laying the foundations of stronger health sovereignty.
The core measure is a drastic cut in customs duties, up to 91%, on a wide list of medicines and raw materials. Lekjaa stressed that this reform is not intended to raise state revenues. Customs duties on pharmaceuticals, he noted, represent “a very small share of public income.”
The primary objective is to reduce medication costs for citizens, reinforce health coverage, much of which is absorbed by drug reimbursements, secure national supply, and support domestic pharmaceutical production in the face of low-cost imports.
The government says it wants to strike a balance: lower prices for consumers while preserving the competitiveness of Moroccan manufacturers.
This new step builds on the restructuring of customs chapter 30 introduced in 2023, which had established three tariff levels: 2.5% for medicines not produced locally, 30% for those manufactured in Morocco, and between 10% and 17.5% for mixed products partially made in the country.
The 2026 reform goes further by expanding the list of molecules subject to tariff adjustments, especially those seeing rising demand.
A total of 308 International Nonproprietary Names (INN) have been reviewed. Of these, 112 will benefit from major reductions, 10 will see partial decreases, and 34 will face higher duties to protect domestic production.
Officials argue that these changes will help secure supply while supporting the competitiveness of Morocco’s pharmaceutical industry.
Lekjaa cautioned, however, that tariff cuts alone will not be enough. The government insists on strict oversight of retail prices to ensure that reductions at customs level translate into lower costs for patients and to prevent excessive margins across the supply chain.
The Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AMMPS) will have the mandate and time needed to implement a coherent, long-term pharmaceutical policy.
For the government, the reform represents a central pillar of the emerging health development model. It aims to ensure a steady availability of essential medicines, support local manufacturing, and encourage research on generics.
By doing so, Morocco seeks to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen the resilience of its health system. “This is not a simple fiscal adjustment but a major strategic choice,” Lekjaa noted.
Morocco is thus preparing a far-reaching reconfiguration of its pharmaceutical landscape, with the ambition to make access to medication a key element of social justice and national health sovereignty.
Delivering on this vision will require reinforced governance, stronger industrial planning, investment in specialized training, and continuous regulatory adaptation.
