PLF 2023: benchmarking in progress

The finance bill (PLF) is the best official document that allows one to really appreciate the effective implementation of government policies. Aziz Akhannouch is really lucky. At the head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), he has two political leaders with rich experience in the financial field.

The career of Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Minister of Economy and Finance, is well known in the financial sector. The same applies to Faouzi Lakjaâ who spent most of his professional career at the head of the budget department, within the MEF, in the midst of the reform of the organic finance law, while having the opportunity and the advantage of rubbing shoulders with the world of sport and especially football.

For once, the PLF offers better visibility/readability. The framework note for this project includes four explicitly defined priorities: strengthening the foundations of the social state; the revival of the economy through public and private investment; the consecration of territorial equity, and, of course, the maintenance of financial balances. The Royal orientations are well put forward, as priority axes: to provide the country with a new investment charter, favorable to competition, to the creation of employment and added value, to the reduction of disparities space, and respect for the environment. The Mohamed VI Fund should be operationalized to contribute to the emergence of an environment more attractive to national and international investments. In the immediate future, priority will be given to investments relating to projects in progress, and in particular those which have been the subject of national and international agreements, signed by the Sovereign. The same applies to projects concluded with international institutions and/or with donor countries. It is about the image of the Kingdom. Credibility, trust and transparency are the sine qua non, in terms of attracting and developing qualitative investments. The call for the reduction of public expenditure relating to the acquisition of mission vehicles, the construction and equipment of administrative buildings, was reiterated. However, this appeal should not be circumvented by the abusive use of the rental system.

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The “national product”, through quality local production (Label Made Morocco) must be encouraged. Moreover, financial equilibrium remains a permanent objective, without however hindering the implementation of the strategic projects in progress. For now, public debt remains under control, despite the exceptional expenses inherent in the compensation fund which required an additional injection of 16 billion dirhams, following the significant increase in certain raw materials such as gas and wheat. Added to this is 10 billion dirhams to cope with the effects of drought, not to mention the 2 billion dirhams subsidy for transport, and 2 billion dirhams for the revival of tourism. The increase in tax revenue of + 23.5 billion dirhams, helped to mitigate the shock of exogenous factors. This increase is due in particular to the increase in IS revenue, to be compared to the good economic situation that prevailed in 2021, and to VAT revenue from imports, driven up in particular by the rise in the price of petroleum products.

One of the key objectives of the PLF 2023 is the overhaul of the health system. Without this overhaul, the generalization of the social protection system would only be an empty shell. The “rehabilitation” of the health system necessarily involves the reform of primary health structures, the upgrading of hospitals and the establishment of mechanisms to respect the course of care. But, at the heart of this overhaul, it is the quality of the governance of the health system and its complete digitization, and therefore its transparency, which are targeted as a priority. Of course, the financial situation of healthcare managers is also a priority imposed by reality, given the risk of a massive exodus of new recruits of doctors to other countries which offer much better conditions, in terms of remuneration and especially fulfilment.

The Intelaka, Forsa and Awrach projects should be maintained, with a major priority being the improvement of the conditions for the participation and inclusion of women in all areas. The Family Code is called upon to be reviewed and the constitutional institutions provided for, within this framework, will have to be operationalized.

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After the effective generalization of the AMO, in 2022, to the entire population, will have to be started, in 2023, that of the family allowances, for the benefit of 7 million children of poor families and 3 million poor families but without children of school age, which makes a global average of more than 10 million children. For this, the two key instruments to be implemented, and urgently, are the national population register and the single social register. The fight against socio-territorial inequalities will also be continued, with quantified objectives to be achieved. This is particularly the case for the education of rural girls to reach 60% in the targeted areas. Or even access to drinking water, with a rate of 81% to 82% to be achieved, in rural areas. Finally, an envelope of 500 MDH will have to be mobilized for the benefit of associations of people with specific needs. The Amazighization of public services is also a transversal and societal, strategic and priority project.

The PLF 2023 is the “hard core” of the government program. It is at this level that the political “good intentions” are called upon to be concretely declined. It is also where citizens can assess and compare political discourse with effective public actions.