Morocco's King Mohammed VI chairs council of ministers

RABAT – Morocco’s King Mohammed VI chaired on Wednesday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a Council of Ministers during which two draft framework laws, a draft law, two draft decrees and a series of international agreements were adopted, said a statement by the spokesman of the Royal Palace, Abdelhak Lamrini.

Here follows the translation of the statement:

"His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, chaired, this Wednesday 13 Dou Al Hijja 1443H corresponding to July 13, 2022 at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a Council of Ministers during which two draft framework laws, a draft law, two draft decrees and a series of international conventions were adopted.

At the beginning of the Council's proceedings, Minister of Health and Social Protection gave before His Majesty the King, may God glorify Him, a presentation on a draft framework law relating to the national health system, which was elaborated pursuant to the High Royal instructions for the revision of the health system so that it is up to the level of the generalization of the social protection ordered by the Sovereign.

This structuring reform project is based on four fundamental pillars:

First pillar: adoption of good governance aimed at strengthening the mechanisms for regulating the actions of the players and consolidating hospital governance and territorial planning of the health offer at all levels:

- Strategic: through the creation of a High Authority of Health, an Agency of Medicines and Health Products and an Agency of blood and blood-derived products.

- Central: through the revision of the missions, functions and organization of the central administration.

- Territorial: through the creation of territorial health groups, which will be mainly responsible for the development and implementation of the national regional program and the strengthening of cooperation and partnership mechanisms between the public and private sectors.

Second pillar: development of human resources, in particular through the elaboration of the law on the public health service, in order to motivate the human capital in the public sector, to reduce the current lack of human resources, to reform the training system, in addition to the opening on foreign medical competences and the encouragement of the Moroccan medical executives residing abroad to return to practice in their country.

Third pillar: upgrading of the health offer in order to meet the expectations of Moroccans in terms of facilitating access to medical services, improving their quality and the equitable distribution of hospital services across the national territory, through the rehabilitation of primary health structures, the upgrading of hospitals, the introduction of the obligation to respect the care pathway, in addition to the creation of an accreditation system for health institutions.

The fourth pillar concerns the digitalization of the health system, through the implementation of an integrated computer system for the collection, processing and use of the main information relating to the health system.

Thereafter, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies made a presentation on the draft framework law forming the Investment Charter in which he stressed that this project comes pursuant to the High Royal Directions aimed at providing Morocco with a competitive Investment Charter.

This project aims to improve the impact of investment, particularly in terms of creating permanent employment opportunities and reducing disparities between provinces and prefectures in terms of investment attractiveness.

It is also meant to direct investment towards productive sectors with high added value, to achieve sustainable development, in addition to strengthening the attractiveness of the Kingdom to make it a continental and international pole in the field of foreign direct investment (FDI), improving the business climate, facilitating the operation of investing and increasing the contribution of domestic and foreign private investment.

In order to achieve these objectives, a support system dedicated to strategic projects has been set up, as well as three specific support systems for the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Moroccan companies that plan to develop their international capacities.

The Minister said that the government has also adopted a series of parallel measures to accelerate the work on simplifying and digitizing procedures, facilitating access to land, improving governance and strengthening the involvement of the private and banking sectors in the field of investment.

The Council of Ministers adopted these two projects: The draft framework law on the national health system and the draft framework law on the Investment Charter.

The Council also adopted successively a draft law and two draft decrees:

The draft law on firearms, their parts, components, accessories and ammunition. This text aims to modernize and improve the legal arsenal relating to firearms for civilian use, so that it accompanies the social and technological changes, and this through the establishment of a national electronic register of firearms, and the organization and control of the operations of sale and possession of various firearms. The text also provides for provisions governing the introduction and exit of these weapons from the national territory.

The draft decree on the control of export and import of dual-use goods, civil and military, and services related to them. This text determines the representatives of the Administration within the Special Commission of these goods and the modalities of granting, modifying, suspending and withdrawing the licenses of their export and import, as well as the conditions and the modalities of designation of the agents entitled to identify the infringements of the provisions of the law relating to these goods.

The draft decree supplementing the decree on the status of military attachés, their deputies and other military personnel assigned to them. This text aims at creating the position of Military Attaché to the Embassies of the Kingdom in India and Turkey.

Within the framework of the reinforcement of the networks of cooperation and partnership linking Morocco to a number of brotherly and friendly countries and the diversification of their domains, the Council of Ministers approved sixteen international agreements, of which nine bilateral and seven multilateral.

The bilateral agreements concern the African space in the fields of transport, logistics, encouragement and protection of investments, the Gulf and Middle East space in the fields of economic cooperation, trade, tourism and business, the European space in the fields of education and Moroccan workers abroad, as well as the Asian space in the air services sector.

With regard to international agreemets, three of them provide for the creation of the headquarters of the Pan-African Youth Union in Morocco, the recognition of higher education diplomas and their levels in African countries and the creation of an African Technical Cooperation Program.

The remaining agreements concern the accession to the Council of Europe convention on the manipulation of sports competitions, the establishment of the International Foundation for Maritime Aids, the payment of alimony (nafaqa) abroad for the benefit of children and family, and the protection of workers from occupational hazards.

And in accordance with the provisions of Article 49 of the Constitution and on the proposal of the Head of Government:

- And at the initiative of the Minister of Economy and Finance, His Majesty the King has appointed

Mr. Khalid Safir, Director General of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (deposit and management fund)

Mr. Abdellatif Zaghnoun, Director General of the National Agency for the Strategic Management of State Holdings and the monitoring of the performance of public establishments and companies.

- And at the initiative of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, His Majesty the King has appointed:

Mr. Nourreddine Boutayeb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crédit Agricole du Maroc;

Mr. Abderrahim Houmy, Director General of the National Agency for Water and Forests;

- And at the initiative of the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, in charge of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies, His Majesty the King has appointed

Mr. Ali Seddiki, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments and Exports.

At the end of the Council's proceedings, the Minister of Interior made before His Majesty the King, may God preserve Him, a presentation on the measures elaborated, pursuant to the High Royal Instructions on the organization of the Moroccan Jewish community.

These measures are based on the supreme responsibility of His Majesty the King as Commander of the Faithful and guarantor of the free exercise of worship for all Moroccans, all religious confessions included, and come to enshrine the Hebrew tributary as a component of the Moroccan culture rich of its multiple tributaries.

The scheme submitted to the High Appreciation of His Majesty the King, drawn up after extensive consultations with representatives of the Jewish community and personalities belonging to it, includes the following bodies:

1- The National Council of the Moroccan Jewish Community:

It is responsible for managing the affairs of the community and safeguarding the cultural and religious heritage and influence of Judaism and its authentic Moroccan values. Regional committees of the Council will be responsible for managing the day-to-day issues and affairs of the community's members.

2- The Committee of Moroccan Jews living abroad:

It works to consolidate the ties of Moroccan Jews living abroad with their country of origin, to strengthen their cultural and religious influence and to defend the supreme interests of the Kingdom.

3- The Foundation of Moroccan Judaism:

Its mission is to promote and watch over the Jewish-Moroccan intangible heritage, to safeguard its traditions and to preserve its specificities".

(MAP)