Morocco Unveils 5-Year Plan for Universal Social Coverage, King Announces

"The time has come to launch, over the next five years, the process of universalizing social coverage for all Moroccans," said the king, specifying that "this project requires a rigorous reform of social systems and programs." According to the promises of Mohammed VI, the present project will start as early as next January by beginning with the "generalization of Mandatory Health Insurance (AMO) and family allowances", and will be extended to "retirement and unemployment benefit".

This decision comes from the observation that the health crisis due to Covid-19 has "highlighted a number of shortcomings", in particular "the weakness of social protection networks" for "the most vulnerable segments of the population" in this country of 35 million inhabitants.

With the advent of this crisis that has affected the whole world, the average monthly income has halved during confinement, while the poorest and workers in the informal sector constitute the most affected segment of the population, not to mention that only a quarter of people of working age were able to benefit from public aid, according to a survey by the High Commission for Planning (HCP). It should be noted that a bill is pending examination in Parliament as part of the implementation of this system of social assistance for the most destitute, based on a unified social register which is moreover inspired by the Indian model. In addition, Mohammed VI has also planned to inject 120 billion dirhams (11 billion euros) into the national economy, for the "post-crisis economic recovery".

In total, the coronavirus pandemic will have recorded some 23,259 cases of contamination, including 346 deaths, with an increase in contaminations since the easing of strict containment measures. In addition, the economic effects of this health crisis, coupled with a severe drought, have accentuated the misery in many families.