Morocco’s lower house approves 2026 budget bill after contentious debate on tariffs and tax measures

Morocco’s House of Representatives approved the 2026 draft finance bill on Friday with 165 votes in favor and 55 against, according to the tally announced by Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami. 

The session, attended by Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah and Budget Minister Delegate Fouzi Lekjaa, concluded the government’s final budget of the current term.

The approval came after the chamber had already adopted both parts of the bill, which now moves to the House of Councillors for review before returning to the lower house for a second reading. 

Parliamentary leadership framed the vote as a decisive stage in the legislative cycle that will shape the government’s fiscal positioning ahead of political transitions in 2026.

Committee documents show that lawmakers submitted 350 amendments to the bill. Of these, 328 targeted Part One and 22 concerned Part Two. Thirty amendments were accepted. 

The government submitted two changes. Majority groups introduced 23 amendments. Opposition submissions included 73 from the socialist group, 46 from the Popular Movement, 37 from the Progress and Socialism group, 117 from the Justice and Development parliamentary group and 30 from independent member Fatima Tamni.

Debate exposed political divisions over customs duties, tariff revisions and the balance between fiscal consolidation and sectoral protection. Majority groups pushed for higher duties on selected industrial imports.

 Opposition groups challenged government proposals they said risked raising consumer prices or weakening oversight. A dispute centered on Article 4, which sought to adjust pharmaceutical and health product tariffs by lowering some rates and raising others.

 Lekjaa said the government would revisit the provision during the second reading to align any final decision with domestic market conditions.