Source: Morocco World News
Key priorities for the coming years will include water, food, and energy sovereignty, as well as protecting citizens’ purchasing power.
Rabat – The Moroccan government has introduced its finance bill for the fiscal year 2025, focusing on four key priorities that align with its strategic commitments.
This new bill, detailed in a directive from the prime minister to the various ministerial departments, sets the stage for the government’s future economic agenda.
The directive maps four main objectives for the 2025 fiscal year: fortifying the social safety net, enhancing investment and job creation, advancing structural reforms, and ensuring the sustainability of public finances.
Emphasis will be on expediting the execution of the government program, boosting the oversight of implemented measures, refining operational and coordination processes, and tackling key issues with greater transparency.
Concerning social protection, the government is set to bolster its healthcare system by investing in the renovation and expansion of medical facilities.
Notable initiatives involve the continued renovation of regional and provincial hospitals, the reconstruction of Rabat’s Ibn Sina Hospital, and the fast-tracking of construction and equipment of medical facilities nationwide.
Prioritizing economic investment and social development
To enhance human resources in the healthcare sector, the government will implement new legislation governing public health functions which will include increasing the number of medical and paramedical professionals to 25 per 10,000 inhabitants by 2026 and 45 per 10,000 inhabitants by 2030.
The government reaffirms its commitment to prioritizing human capital development, viewing it as the ultimate goal of all public policies and a key benchmark for measuring government interventions.
In pursuit of economic prosperity, the directive asserts that ensuring dignity and a decent life for Moroccan families demands a strategic economic policy.
This policy will prioritize investment promotion, job creation, and support for emerging sectors to secure the necessary funding for maintaining the social state’s core pillars.
This is reflected through the government’s continuous and effective implementation of its direct social assistance program by operationalizing the National Social Support Agency.
As of June 2024, the program was assisting approximately 3.8 million families, including over 5 million children, at an annual cost of about MAD 25 billion ($2.5 billion).
Beginning in January 2025, support levels will be increased. Aid for the first three children who are either in school, under six years old, or have disabilities will increase to MAD 250 ($25.5) per child, and MAD 350 ($35.7) for those with disabilities.
Children not enrolled in school will receive MAD 175 ($17.8). Orphans under six years old, or those continuing their studies, will receive MAD 375 ($ 38) per child for the first three children, with a minimum family support of MAD 500 ($51). These changes will bring the total cost of the program to MAD 26.5 billion ($2.7 billion) for the year 2025.
The government also commits to advancing its territorial policies by launching a new phase of territorial convergence and integration which will include various contractual mechanisms and innovative economic initiatives with regional entities, alongside speeding up the execution of development programs and regional spatial planning.
Other key priorities for the coming years will include water, food, and energy sovereignty, as well as protecting purchasing power.
The government plans to expedite the completion of seawater desalination plants, aiming to mobilize over 1.7 billion cubic meters of water annually, in line with King Mohammed VI’s directives to address the ongoing water crisis.
These facilities are expected to meet more than half of the country’s potable water needs by 2030 and provide irrigation for extensive agricultural areas, thereby enhancing national food security.
The government will also continue implementing the “Green Generation” strategy to leverage advancements in the agricultural sector and ensure its resilience against climate change.
Meanwhile, the government strives to keep public finances on a sustainable trajectory, targeting a budget deficit of 4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024, 3.5% in 2025, and 3% in 2026. It will also manage debt levels, aiming to keep them below 70% of GDP by 2026.
This approach is designed to restore the financial margins necessary for continuing various development projects while preserving the momentum of public investment, a crucial lever for strengthening the social state.
In line with these priorities, the government anticipates achieving a growth rate of approximately 4.6% in 2025, up from 3.3% in 2024.
THE AUTHOR: Firdaous Naim
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