Morocco Streamlines Urban Planning Procedures to Cut Administrative Delays

Published in the Official Bulletin on July 13, 2023, the joint order sets the deadlines required for each stakeholder regarding certain administrative decisions related to urban planning issued by the municipalities. It also sets the deadlines required for each stakeholder regarding the processing and issuance of requests for certain urban planning authorizations, including the authorization to subdivide, the authorization to create a housing group, the authorization to subdivide, as well as the building permit. This order sets a maximum deadline of 15 days for the processing of requests and the issuance of permits for construction projects under the small projects procedure, and a maximum deadline of 30 days for the processing of requests and the issuance of authorizations for subdivisions, housing groups, subdivisions, as well as building permits under the large projects procedure.

Following the publication of this order, the Minister of the Interior sent a circular to the walis, governors and presidents of municipalities, as well as to the presidents of other elected councils, directors of water and electricity distribution agencies, among other public bodies, to implement the "silence means agreement" principle at various levels of local administration, reports the Arabic-language daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. This circular thus makes certain provisions of Law 55-19 on the simplification of administrative procedures applicable. In other words, for each authorization request, after a set deadline following the filing of the file by the applicant, if the administration does not respond, its silence will be considered as an acceptance, it is explained. The applicant can therefore proceed with his steps as if the document had been issued to him.