Akhannouch details government priorities for 2022, execution to begin next year

Head of government Aziz Akhannouch said that his government has focused throughout its first year on improving health, education, and employment through budget increases and investments in infrastructure.

“We have not only set out strategies, but we have begun to implement by launching social dialogue workshops with unions, and initiating major reforms, especially in the health sector, where we have prepared a draft framework law related to the health system. It was presented to Parliament for approval, after it was approved by King Mohammed VI in the Ministerial Council,” Akhannouch said in an exclusive interview with Hespress on Thursday.

The head of government said that his government oversaw a 4.6 billion dirhams increase in the health budget, it has also decided to establish a university hospital in each region, three to be built within the coming years.

He also referred to efforts aimed at doubling the number of graduate doctors each year.

The head of government said that an allocated 9.5 billion dirhams will go to the compulsory health insurance system to the benefit of 11 million Moroccans who were excluded for the “Ramid” medical aid scheme.

“What we have done is the beginning of a path, and we are now in the process of creating 1,400 clinics, the results of which will appear at the end of the year,” noting that during the next five years, the health system will have all the necessary capabilities.

Akhannouch said that his government’s vision for education reform touches on the needs of students, teachers, and school establishments.

“We want the professor to be professional, and to choose the profession from the beginning. We will provide the possibilities for the student to study in the best conditions,” noting that the government has given priority to the education and health sectors, as it allocated a budget of nearly 100 billion dirhams, and more than 20 billion dirhams. 1,000 positions for education, and more than 5,000 positions for health.

The Prime Minister spoke about the outcome of the social dialogue with the unions, recalling that the government had made some achievements before the dialogue was launched, by signing an agreement with professors and another with doctors, invoking a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage in the private sector.

The government also took another measure under the Finance Bill for the year 2023, concerning the reduction of income tax, the cost of which amounted to 2 billion dirhams allocated by the state to the middle class.

The head of government indicated that this procedure will be reflected on the income of wage earners at a rate ranging between 900 dirhams and 2300 dirhams per year, and acknowledged that there are many requests from the unions, which he pledged to meet according to the available capabilities, stressing that “the state can only give what it is able to do.”

The Prime Minister also expressed his pride in institutionalizing social dialogue, noting that two meetings per year will be held between the government and the unions to discuss various issues.