Moroccan retirees call for pension reform

Morocco’s national retirees’ network has voiced deep skepticism over the government’s commitment to genuine pension reform, just days ahead of a scheduled meeting of the national committee tasked with overhauling the retirement system.

In a press conference held Tuesday at the Moroccan Association for Human Rights headquarters, the Moroccan Network of Pensioners’ Associations condemned what it described as the government’s continued neglect of long-standing demands, chief among them an increase in pension payments that have been frozen for 25 years, despite the rising cost of living.

Retirees are demanding improvements in healthcare and social services, as well as access to transportation discounts, medical care, affordable shopping, and better access to public services.

In protest, the retirees plan to return to the streets with a demonstration in front of Parliament on Thursday. Mustafa El Bouihi, a coordinator with the Federation of Moroccan Retirees, delivered a scathing rebuke, stating, “The government is killing us while we are still alive.”

He lamented how the retiree has become “a joke” in the face of official indifference, but vowed that the situation “will be met with resistance and street mobilization.”

El Bouihi dismissed the upcoming national pension reform committee meeting as futile, asserting that “every so-called government reform has been a step toward destruction.”

He accused authorities of deliberately targeting pensioners under the pretext of pension fund insolvency, and renewed calls for a full investigation into the fate of retirees’ contributions, citing the constitutional principle of accountability and responsibility.

The network also rejected ageist stereotypes, such as claims that elderly Moroccans should “just pray and sleep,” emphasizing that the issue of pension dignity is a societal concern, not just a demographic one.

Abdelilah El Jabri, regional secretary of the National Union of Education Retirees, echoed these sentiments, asserting that “the upcoming committee meeting will yield no new developments.” He criticized the trajectory of past pension reforms for aiming solely at reducing benefits, raising the retirement age, and undermining contributors’ rights. He added that the previous government, like the current one, failed to enforce accountability in pension management.

According to the network, 70% of retirees’ pensions are spent on medical expenses, and most monthly pensions do not exceed MAD 1,500, with many receiving less than MAD 800 — an amount unchanged for more than three decades.

This dire financial reality, they warned, leaves Moroccan retirees able to cover only 5% of their basic living needs, making comparisons with their counterparts in other countries “entirely meaningless.”