Youssoufi: Government is working to diminish pockets of resistance to change
Morocco, Politics, 12/22/1999

Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi has insisted that his center-left coalition government is trying to diminish the "pockets of resistance" that hamper the process of change in Morocco.

"There are pockets of resistance...and there are many interests which hold administrative and economic power and we are working to diminish all this. We hope we will be able to reduce this," Youssoufi told the British business daily Financial Times, which published a survey on Morocco on Monday.

To a question on the growing criticism to his government for slow action, Youssoufi said that the cabinet knew that it would face a difficult situation. "We took out courage in both hands to confront the problems... We explained well what we had to do and we did not stop achieving what we said we would do," he said.

In this connection, he cited the consolidation of the rule of law as one of the major achievements. "No one denies that we have created a new atmosphere. People feel free to hold sit-ins."

He also dwelt on the reform of the administrative system. "We have created a new atmosphere in administrative reform. We are proposing new laws in an effort to sensitize people against corruption," he said.

Youssoufi insisted that unemployment remains the country's major problem. "We made it clear to the young unemployed that the administration cannot continue to take them," he said, adding that incentives are granted to the private sector through a fiscal amnesty to take people on.

Part of the same drive, the government is reforming the education sector, Youssoufi said, recalling that a Royal Commission has already started working on the dossier. "Every week we meet to prepare laws and decrees," he said.

Poverty eradication and rural world promotion are another major field of action for the government. "We have pockets of poverty and a rural world that remains deeply underdeveloped." "We have to equip rural areas with infrastructure, electricity and water. This is what will modernize Morocco further and homogenize it," Youssoufi said.

Previous Stories:
  Human rights center dedicated in Fez   (12/17/1999)
  Moroccan government to start action on reform in government   (10/30/1999)
  King Mohammed renews pledge to reform administration   (10/30/1999)
  King's courageous and deep reforms gains Morocco wide support   (10/30/1999)

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