Morocco: 273 NGOs Receive $31 Million in Foreign Aid, Government Reports

For this year, the Secretary General of the Government, Mohamed Hajoui, stressed that a total of 13 authorizations for "public fundraising" have been granted to collect public funds. He notes that in terms of foreign funds granted to NGOs, the SGG has received "some 787 declarations submitted by 273 associations that have received aid from foreign entities valued at 310 million dirhams".

This year, two new associations have been granted the "public utility" status, adding to the overall number of 231 associations that have already obtained this status, he specifies, adding that initiatives are being undertaken to revise the legislative and regulatory texts governing the associative framework. This is, according to him, a reform aimed at making them compliant and in line with the structural changes in the associative fabric as well as the technological revolution.

Furthermore, Mohamed Hajoui indicated that another draft text aims to revise the dahir of November 15, 1958 on the creation of associations. This, according to him, will allow, among other things, "the updating of the legal provisions relating to the obtaining of foreign donations and aid and the declaration procedure to be made to the administration", but also to "control the circuit of foreign financing granted to NGOs. And this, to follow all the financing phases and control the activities, programs and projects carried out," he concludes.

It should be recalled that these data were revealed during the presentation by the SGG department of its sectoral budget as part of the discussion of the 2021 Finance Bill.