Morocco's new government places economic development on top of priorities
Morocco, Politics, 11/22/2002

The government program, successively presented Thursday by Premier Driss Jettou to the two chambers of the parliament, placed economic development on top of the new team's priorities.

The program cites economic development with three other top priorities, namely productive employment, useful education and decent housing, in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the speech King Mohammed had made at the inauguration of the first year of the current legislative term.

King Mohammed VI appointed on November 7 the new 39-member government, formed of a coalition of six parties. The government is led by Driss Jettou, who held the portfolio of Interior Minister in the former government, led by socialist leader, Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

Making of economic development a top priority stems from a keen interest to curb unemployment and achieve growth, which remains dependent on draining more capital and investment.

In his presentation, Driss Jettou stressed the government's will to take all necessary measures and initiatives and usher in reforms to consolidate trust and credibility through promoting the business environment in a bid to attract more capital which is a strong leverage for curbing unemployment, improving the population's living standards and gradually eradicating poverty and social edging out.

The government undertook in its declaration to enforce a program to foster Moroccan firms' awareness of competition requirements and encourage them to modernize their structures and develop productivity.

The declaration put a special emphasis on promoting economic sectors where Morocco is competitive, including tourism, export-oriented industry, fisheries, agriculture, mining and the new information and communication technologies.

Part of the drives planned to spur investments, the government commits to boost the role of regional investment centers, the target being to enable these structures play an effective role in encouraging firms to be an engine for growth and wealth generation.

Jettou underlined, in this connection, that the government will enforce a package of measures to promote small and medium size firms to enable them to face up the challenges of fierce competition, particularly in the perspective of the entry into force of the free trade area with the European Union by 2012, as provided for by the Association Accord Morocco signed with the Union.

The reform of the tax system is a corner stone in Jettou's government program. The Prime Minister underlined that the government is determined to reconsider this system to make it fairer and the informal economy's gradual integration in the realm of structured activity.

Given the key role of financial markets in economy and promoting investment-oriented savings, the government said it will endeavour to restructure the public and private financial sectors and promote the efficiency of the channels financing the economy.

The new team equally pledged to continue building on past efforts, particularly in the realms of privatization, liberalization of some sectors, reforming and restructuring public institutions and state-owned enterprises in addition to consolidating the role of the Hassan II Fund for Social and Economic Development as an engine of productive investments and of attracting capital, and a key actor in social and economic projects.

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