Government spokesman Mustapha Baitas defended what he described as the “strong social dimension” of Morocco’s 2026 Finance Bill, emphasizing that it reaffirms “the social approach as a strategic choice of the government,” in line with King Mohammed VI’s directives under the broader project of building a social state.
Speaking at the government’s weekly press conference on Thursday, Baitas said the 2026 budget devotes unprecedented financial resources to health and education, with a combined allocation of about 140 billion dirhams, nearly double the amount allocated to both sectors before 2021. He said the goal is to improve the quality of public services and strengthen social equity.
The government also mobilized 41.5 billion dirhams to continue implementing the social protection program, including direct aid and health coverage, Baitas said. Meanwhile, the compensation fund absorbed 105 billion dirhams between 2022 and 2025, with spending expected to rise to 14 billion dirhams in 2026 to help protect citizens’ purchasing power.
He noted that 17 billion dirhams were allocated to support the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) during the same period to maintain stable electricity bills. The government, he added, has also implemented income tax cuts worth 8.5 billion dirhams and sustained commitments under social dialogue agreements expected to cost over 49 billion dirhams by 2027.
In the agriculture sector, Baitas said total support will reach 20 billion dirhams, including 12.8 billion to help livestock breeders cope with feed costs and protect breeding females of sheep and goats, part of the broader plan to rebuild the national herd after years of drought and economic strain.
As for direct social assistance, family allowances will be increased starting in 2026 to range between 200 and 400 dirhams per child in school and 150 to 200 dirhams for non-schooled children, with higher payments for orphans and children with disabilities, he said.
The 2026 Finance Bill also creates 26,000 public-sector jobs, including 20,000 for the education sector, marking a “notable increase compared with previous years,” Baitas said, citing new government strategies to reinforce priority social sectors.
580,000 farmers and breeders benefit from direct aid
Baitas said the government’s “Farmers and Livestock Breeders Support Program”, launched under royal directives, represents “an unprecedented initiative” because it introduces direct financial aid to beneficiaries instead of traditional indirect mechanisms.
He said that as of early November, the government had begun distributing subsidies for purchasing feed and maintaining breeding females of sheep and goats. So far, 580,000 breeders have received 2.42 billion dirhams, representing 48% of the total registered beneficiaries. The process, he added, will continue until all eligible breeders nationwide are covered.
The total budget for the program stands at 12.8 billion dirhams, divided into two phases. The first phase, worth 6 billion dirhams, focuses on key measures such as direct cash support for feed purchases, preserving breeding livestock, reducing breeders’ debts in coordination with the Credit Agricole du Maroc, and vaccination and technical support campaigns aimed at improving productivity and protecting the national herd.
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