Morocco Unveils $4 Billion Annual Public Investment Plan to Boost Post-COVID Economy

A reduction in the scale for 2020 is included in the draft Supplementary Finance Act (LFR). In detail, the budget of public companies has gone from 101.1 billion DH to 72.5 billion, a decrease of 28.3%, and the investment of local authorities does not exceed 15 billion, a reduction of 23%.

Nevertheless, Morocco wants to give new momentum to investment and support for businesses. The objective is to increase the pace of growth and job creation through the support of public investment, the promotion of national and foreign private investment, the strengthening of the competitiveness of companies and the integration of the informal sector into the economic cycle, etc., says L’Économiste.

To meet these challenges, major investments will be made. Abdelkader Amara, Minister of Equipment, Transport and Logistics, announced that a colossal sum of around 40 billion will be injected each year in the various areas of competence of his department. This fund will be used, among other things, for the mega-project of the Tiznit-Laâyoune-Dakhla expressway for an investment of more than 10 billion DH, to ensure the road connection of the Nador West Med port for 1.3 billion DH, in addition to the Guercif-Nador highway (4.5 billion DH).

On the side of the National Ports Agency (ANP), an envelope of 3.6 billion DH of investment is planned for the period 2020-2022, of which around 1.5 billion for the current year. Several projects including the interior layout of the community building at the port of Casablanca, the development of the access structure to the dry port of Zenata, and the maritime station of Nador will be implemented as part of this investment plan.

In the real estate sector, several measures have been taken. These include the dematerialization of the services of urban agencies to facilitate procedures and the activation of releases for the benefit of public actors within the framework of conventions relating to social programs.