Over 200 charities to be audited in Morocco in 2005, Minister
Morocco, Politics, 4/28/2005

250 state-subsidized charities will be audited in Morocco in 2005 part of a campaign that will include around 250 other charities in 2006, announced, in Bouznika (South of Rabat) Tuesday, Moroccan minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, Abderrahim Harouchi.

Speaking at a meeting on charities, the minister said this campaign aims at reforming their structures, improving their management, establishing transparency and comforting benefactors and volunteers.

This campaign was triggered following the investigation ordered by King Mohammed VI after a visit, April 2, to the first Islamic charity house in Casablanca during which the sovereign "deplored the poor conditions" of its residents and noted the "bad management of the institution and its calamitous repercussions on life conditions and education of the children." Several managers of the institution were arrested on charges of embezzlement and corruption.

The king gave also his instructions to the state Secretariat General to work with concerned parties on amending the law governing charities to prevent such cases and to assure that the institutions hosting children, youngsters, women and old people will play their humanitarian role.

Harouchi underlined that the rehabilitation of the charities demands MAD 230 million (nearly US$ 27 million) and will last 3 to 4 years stressing the need to double the operating expenditure which is estimated at MAD 9 (one dollar) per person and per day.

On his part, Director of l'Entraide nationale, Mohamed Talbi said the number of charities flared up 75% and the number of benefactors increased from 85,000 in 1999 to 171,000 in 2005.

He pointed out that 97% of his department action is concerned with providing poor youngsters with a professional training, after which 80% of beneficiaries integrate the job market.

L'Entraide nationale boasts 1,515 charities including 500 orphanages (46,500 beneficiaries), 720 training centers for girls (65,196 beneficiaries), 5 centers for special needs people (858 beneficiaries) and 50 professional training centers for school drop outs.

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