Morocco’s Ombudsman slams major flaws in government programs

Morocco’s Ombudsman has raised the alarm about serious problems in some of the country’s key government programs ranging from housing to healthcare. 

In its 2024 annual report, the institution said it received a flood of complaints from citizens, and many of them pointed to deep issues in how social and public policies are being carried out.

The report found delays, inefficiencies, and even unfairness in who actually benefits from initiatives that are supposed to help the most vulnerable. In many cases, eligible people were left out entirely.

One of the biggest problems the report addressed was housing. Despite the existence of initiatives like “Cities Without Slums” and subsidized social housing, many Moroccans are still struggling to access decent homes. 

The Ombudsman said that people meeting the criteria are being excluded from beneficiary lists, and that repeated census efforts are not followed by real action on the ground.

Economic activity in informal neighborhoods is also being ignored during resettlement efforts, further worsening people’s livelihoods. 

The report criticized how different regions apply the rules differently, and how slow the housing relocation process has become.

The healthcare system didn’t fare much better. The Ombudsman flagged long delays in processing medical expense reimbursements, a major burden for patients who are often forced to pay out of pocket without knowing when or if they’ll be refunded.

Expensive medications for chronic illnesses are often not covered because they’re not on the approved drug list. 

Some social security funds have also been accused of interfering in doctors’ decisions, which undermines trust in the patient-doctor relationship.

Problems were also identified in Morocco’s compulsory health insurance program, AMO, particularly with the digital registration process and how direct financial support is being used to pay premiums. 

Pension management wasn’t spared either, with reports of errors in contribution records, missing work periods, and low retirement payments.

The Ombudsman also looked into the “Forsa” program, a government initiative that aims to support 10000 entrepreneurs. 

Two collective complaints were received, and the institution said it ended up launching separate investigations into individual cases.

While some complaints were dismissed due to ineligibility, others led to proposed adjustments and suggestions that were forwarded to the head of government.

The report pointed fingers at the country’s public administration, saying citizens’ requests are often ignored, and that explanations for decisions are either weak or missing entirely. 

Some government departments are reportedly dragging their feet on providing official documents or simply refusing to follow court rulings, especially when it comes to public employees seeking status adjustments. 

This failure to execute administrative court decisions was described as a major obstacle to fairness.