Morocco’s newly elected government has placed universal social security at the top of its agenda since October, and the Moroccan Forums for Alternatives (FMAS), an NGO that seeks to contribute to a secure and autonomous social democratic movement in Morocco, has recently discussed the variables of the project’s success, and the necessary reforms the current social protection system requires.
Speaking at an FMAS seminar, Aziz Khorsi, head of the communication and international relations division at the National Fund of Social Welfare Organisations (CNOPS), the fund that manages the AMO for public sector workers, said that “because of the sanitary condition, demographic and technological changes, there will be great pressure on the services offered in the future, which will inevitably affect the general balance of the fund.”
Universal health coverage guarantees access to health care services and contributes, intrinsically, to extending the life expectancy of the population.
In terms of demographics, the aging population generates a proportional increase in long-term illnesses, which are financially burdensome to treat.
The fact alone leads insurance managers to predict social security funds will be sought more frequently in the future, prompting the sector professionals such as Khorsi to push the government to find new financing channels, to avoid the risk of deficit.
According to Khorsi, “contributions alone are not enough to guarantee the financial autonomy of a fund.”
Contributions depend on the ability of members to pay, which the director feels will “eventually, contributions can no longer be stretched, having reached their limit.”
For contributions to remain sustainable in the long term, the government will need to equate its social net generalizing efforts, with grand investment to fight unemployment and ensure the creation of new jobs on an annual basis.
Jamal Azouaoui, the author of a study on the framework law 09.21 on social protection, speaking at the same seminar, agreed.
He explains that in Morocco, the framework law on social protection defines the mode of financing social protection on the one hand and social assistance on the other.
Social protection will be financed by the working population first, while a significant part of the financing is set to emanate from fiscal resources.
The head of CNOPS believes that it is necessary to conduct in-depth studies on the real costs of medical services in Morocco, adding that “the main reason for the lack of confidence of Moroccans in health coverage is the gap between the reference rates for reimbursements made by the CNSS and CNOPS and the prices charged by medical professionals.”
The same logic also applies to the cost of medicine. Citing a CNOPS investigation, Jamal Azaoui said that after surveying over 300 drugs, the prices of many in Morocco remain disproportionately high, especially in comparison to prices used in neighboring countries.”
As of December 1, 2020, the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) began integrating nearly 1 million new beneficiaries into the compulsory health insurance system (AMO).
The 500,000 people subject to the Single Occupational Contribution (SOC) plan have been eligible to register starting this December with the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), to receive health care benefits from January 2022 onwards.
But despite the scale of inclusion, the national social security net is reaching, professionals and beneficiaries alike are raising increasingly relevant questions concerning the realization, longevity, and success of the Akhannouch government’s flagship plan.
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