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Ya Biladi
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco considers monthly scholarship disbursements to boost student support
The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, Azzedine El Midaoui, announced on Tuesday in Rabat that his department is considering switching to monthly scholarship disbursements for students, replacing the current system. Responding to an oral question from the Haraki group in the House of Councillors regarding the generalization of university scholarships for students from underprivileged families, El Midaoui explained that the number of scholarships awarded annually is determined by a joint decision between the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Higher Education, based on the available budget. He noted that the ministry uses the Unified Social Registry as the sole national criterion to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in scholarship distribution. For the current academic year, 174,000 out of 187,000 scholarship applications submitted within the legal deadline were approved, yielding a national satisfaction rate of 93%. The minister highlighted that all applications were approved in 15 prefectures and provinces. In 62 others, the approval rate exceeded 90%, while in 15 it ranged between 80% and 90%, and dropped below 80% in only five. El Midaoui added that the ministry, through the National Office of University Social and Cultural Works, is currently working to distribute scholarships to eligible students enrolled in higher education institutions. Acknowledging budgetary constraints, the minister emphasized the need to explore sustainable funding solutions—particularly through partnerships with the private sector, local governments, and elected officials—to expand and strengthen the scholarship system.
Morocco World
03-03-2025
- Health
- Morocco World
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Princess Lalla Khadija Launch Ramadan Aid Initiative
Rabat – Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija launched the 'Ramadan 1446' solidarity initiative on Monday in Rabat. They marked the start of a program that provides essential food supplies to one million families, around five million people, during the holy month. For over 25 years, this initiative has stood as a gesture of support for vulnerable communities. It reflects Morocco's deep-rooted values of compassion and solidarity, ensuring that those in need receive assistance at a crucial time of the year. With a budget of MAD 330 million ($33 million), this year's operations saw the distribution of 34,280 tons of food. The aid includes staples such as flour, milk, rice, oil, sugar, tomato concentrate, pasta, lentils, and tea. The program prioritizes widows, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities, many of whom face difficulties in securing daily necessities. Most of the beneficiaries, which represent 74%, live in rural areas. The program reaches 1,054 municipalities across the country, ensuring that aid extends beyond urban centers. For the first time, authorities have used the Unified Social Registry, a system designed to assess families' socio-economic conditions, to update the list of recipients. The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs also chipped in financially, which aligns with the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity's broader efforts to assist those in need. Thousands of volunteers and social workers help distribute the aid, while local and regional committees oversee the process to ensure fair and efficient delivery. Several national institutions, including the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, and the Ministry of Agriculture, contributed to this noble effort. The Ministry of Health and the National Office for Food Safety monitor the quality of the food supplies to ensure they meet safety standards. During the launch event, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija personally handed food baskets to 20 beneficiaries. Their presence brought a personal touch to the initiative, reinforcing the spirit of solidarity that defines the holy month. Tags: Holy monthHoly Ramadanramadan 2025
Zawya
11-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Completes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Morocco
Economic growth is accelerating thanks to strong domestic demand, amid a new investment cycle in many sectors. Tax reforms have allowed the fiscal deficit in 2024 to be lower than expected while also funding spending measures. Going forward, saving part of the revenue windfall would help strengthen the fiscal buffers. The current monetary policy stance is appropriate and should remain data dependent. Structural reforms should focus on strengthening job creation, including by better targeting active labor market polices, consolidating programs to support small and medium firms, and removing regulatory distortions that hinder firms' growth. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team led by Roberto Cardarelli conducted discussions with the Moroccan authorities in Rabat on the 2025 Article IV Consultation from January 27 to February 7. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Cardarelli issued the following statement: 'Economic activity is expected to have grown by 3.2 percent in 2024 and to accelerate to 3.9 percent in 2025, as agricultural output rebounds after the recent droughts and the nonagricultural sector continues to expand at a robust pace amid strong domestic demand. Higher growth is expected to increase the current account deficit towards its estimated medium-term norm of around 3 percent, while inflation is expected to stabilize at around 2 percent. The risks to the outlook are broadly balanced, with significant uncertainty regarding the economic impact of geopolitical tensions and changing climate conditions. 'With inflation expectations anchored around 2 percent and little signs of demand pressures, the current broadly neutral monetary policy stance is appropriate, and staff agrees with Bank Al-Maghrib that future changes of policy rates should remain data dependent. With inflation back to around 2 percent, Bank Al-Maghrib should continue its preparation to adopt an inflation-targeting framework.' 'Recent reforms to the tax system and tax administration have helped expand the tax base while lowering the tax burden. As a result, tax revenues in 2024 have been greater than expected. With only a small part of the additional tax revenues being saved, the central government's deficit for the year was 4.1 percent of GDP compared to the 4.3 announced in the 2024 Budget. While the 2025 Budget confirms the gradual pace of fiscal adjustment projected last year, higher-than-expected revenues should be used to accelerate the pace of debt reduction to levels closer to pre-pandemic. In addition, continuing to finance structural reforms may require further efforts to expand the tax base and rationalize spending, including by reducing transfers to state-owned enterprises as part of the ongoing reform of the sector and expanding the use of the Unified Social Registry to all social programs. 'Staff welcomes the ongoing reform of the Organic Budget Law that should introduce a new fiscal rule based on a medium-term debt anchor. Good progress has been made in the Medium-Term fiscal framework to include an assessment of the risk from climate change. Staff encourages the authorities to build on this progress by adding more information on the impact of new policy measures and a quantification of the risks from the increased reliance on public-private partnership (PPP) projects. 'Stronger job creation requires a novel approach to active labor market policies, focusing on labor displaced from the agricultural sector due to the sequence of droughts. A special focus should be placed on encouraging the growth of small and medium size enterprises (SME) and favoring their integration into sectoral value chains. Staff welcomes the progress in the operationalization of the Mohammed VI Investment Fund that should help SMEs access equity financing. Measures that may encourage the development of a more buoyant private sector include strengthening the support for SMEs under the new Charter of Investment, strengthening regional investment centers so they can better help SMEs access the financial and technical resources needed for their growth, and reviewing the labor code, tax system, and regulatory and governance frameworks so as remove the distortion that incentivize firms to remain small or informal. It will also be necessary that the ongoing SOE reform effectively pursues market neutrality between public and private sector firms. 'The IMF team held discussions with senior officials of the government of Morocco, Bank Al-Maghrib, and representatives of the public and private sectors. The team thanks the Moroccan authorities and other stakeholders for their hospitality and candid and productive discussions.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).
