Lekjaa puts regional inequality at center of Morocco’s next government agenda

Morocco’s next government should prioritize narrowing regional disparities in education, healthcare and infrastructure, Budget Minister Fouzi Lekjaa said Friday, warning that uneven development has left parts of the country moving at different speeds.

Lekjaa, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party’s political bureau, told a party meeting in Taounate province that Morocco needed to become “a country moving at one speed,” with comparable access to public services and economic opportunities across its regions.

He called for faster implementation of road, education and healthcare projects capable of producing measurable improvements in people’s daily lives.

The minister said more than 300,000 students leave school each year, describing the figure as a major concern requiring broader action to address the causes of school dropout and help children remain in education.

Lekjaa also said Morocco’s young people had demonstrated their capacity in sports, engineering, medicine and innovation when given adequate opportunities. Public policy should expand access to training and employment to allow those skills to contribute more fully to economic development, he added.

Persistent gaps in infrastructure and social indicators require projects to reach rural and underserved areas at a pace comparable to better-equipped regions, Lekjaa said.

He argued that future government programs should be judged by tangible results rather than commitments, particularly their ability to restore public confidence and improve access to essential services.

Lekjaa also urged greater participation in the coming legislative elections, calling on voters to support candidates capable of implementing development and social programs.

The government formed after the election will face responsibility for reducing regional inequality, improving roads, schools and healthcare, and creating broader opportunities for young Moroccans, he said.