Draft economic and social development plan before parliament in June
Morocco, Politics, 5/13/2000

The draft economic and social development plan that was adopted last week-end by the Higher National Promotion and Planning Council will be tabled before the parliament after the first week of June.

The announcement was made Thursday by minister of economic forecasts and planning, Abdelhamid Aouad, before the weekly meeting of the cabinet.

Aouad, who made a presentation on the council's meetings, said the draft will be first debated at a ministers' council before going to the parliament.

Minister in charge of relations with the parliament and acting spokesman of the government, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, told reporters a tripartite ministerial commission has been set up to look into recommendations adopted by the Higher National Promotion and Planning Council and explore means of implementing these recommendations.

The council that held a meeting May 4-6 to probe the 2000-2004 draft economic and social development plan adopted 255 recommendations for different sectors.

The recommendations deal with administrative reform, education, the fight against corruption, 9-to-5 working-hours and women in the public office.

Measures adopted are meant to guarantee the independence of justice, consolidation of human rights, tuning of community planning to state programs, training of elected officials and the enforcement of an electoral code taking into account new legislation and revised constituency-mapping.

In the economic field, members of the council called for modernization of small and medium enterprises and easier fiscal terms for them, the setting up of an investment promotion agency, review of legislation providing for credit to young promoters and easier investment procedures.

The three-day meeting attended by government and economic operators also called for an updated change-rate policy, a yearly 3 % reduction of electricity costs, further involvement of Moroccan enterprises in major infrastructure construction, and the extension of the road network. Further care will be granted to incentives to Moroccan investments in international goods transportation, environment protection, the setting up of a domestic information industry and lesser state-involvement in public-media management with new legislation to guarantee autonomy.

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