Morocco Launches $5 Billion Social Protection Plan to Cover All Citizens by 2025

With an annual total amount of 51 billion dirhams, of which 23 billion are financed by the national budget, the vast social project initiated by the sovereign will be deployed in two main phases, taking into account farmers, craftsmen, merchants, professionals and independent service providers subject to the single professional contribution (CPU) regime, the self-employed regime or the accounting regime. It will then have to extend to other categories including the informal sector.

According to the Minister of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform, Mohamed Benchaaboun, a framework law is signed to this effect, and extends the basic Mandatory Health Insurance (AMO) to 22 million additional people among the vulnerable categories for 8.4 billion dirhams this year. To these categories are added the professionals and self-employed workers and non-salaried persons who carry out a liberal activity.

It is then planned in 2023 and 2024, the generalization of family allowances, the unemployment benefit in 2025, said Benchaaboun, ensuring that three framework agreements were signed on Wednesday, aimed at increasing the low medical supervision rate, the significant deficit in human resources and their uneven geographical distribution. In support of the signing of these framework agreements, the stakeholders in the project proceeded to the modification of a set of existing legislative and regulatory texts, the development of new texts and the launch of a set of structural reforms.

Mr. Benchaaboun explained that around 3 million members, merchants, independent service providers, craftsmen, craft professionals and farmers, in addition to their families, will benefit from the basic mandatory health insurance, or about 9 million citizens, which represents about 83% of the targeted people.

"Thus, 11 million independent citizens and their families will benefit from the basic mandatory health insurance in 2021," said the minister, noting that the agreements relating to the remaining categories, in particular transport professionals and independent professionals (engineers, doctors, lawyers...) will be signed in the coming weeks. The official launch ceremony of the project under the aegis of the king, saw a strong participation of government members, political, administrative, economic authorities and representations of professional bodies from different sectors of activity as well as representatives of the most representative trade union centers.