2027 Finance Bill /Integrated Territorial - Development: One Morocco, Moving at One Speed - L'Economiste

The approaching legislative elections on September 23 should not affect the timetable for preparing the 2027 Finance Bill (PLF).Admittedly, some ministers will enter the electoral race, but the administration remains neutral. In any case, one of the PLF’s four priorities concerns the comprehensive upgrading of territories and the reduction of social and territorial disparities through an integrated territorial development approach.The principles of social and territorial justice have been established as a strategic choice and an essential pillar of the Royal Vision guiding public policies. Accordingly, HM the King has called for moving beyond traditional approaches to social development in favor of an integrated territorial development model. This direction is intended to generate genuine momentum for the comprehensive upgrading of territories and to reduce social and regional disparities. The objective is to ensure that the benefits of progress and development reach all citizens, across every region and territory of the Kingdom, without distinction or exclusion. This approach could ultimately put an end to a two-speed Morocco. With this objective in mind, the Sovereign instructed the government to adopt a new generation of territorial development programs based on leveraging local specificities and consolidating advanced regionalization. The same applies to strengthening the principles of complementarity and solidarity between territories.These programs will have to mobilize the efforts of all stakeholders around clearly defined priorities and high-impact projects, according to the framework note for the preparation of the 2027 Finance Bill. The document sets out the main foundations of this new generation of integrated territorial development programs.One of these foundations involves conducting a multidimensional territorial assessment to identify projects that address the specific development challenges of the targeted territories as well as the actual expectations of their populations. This approach is based on preparing an assessment for each province, drawing on an analysis of various socio-economic indicators. The aim is to identify strengths and weaknesses in terms of access to employment, education, healthcare, water and territorial upgrading programs.Another cornerstone is long-term strategic planning extending beyond a single legislative term. According to initial estimates, the overall funding required to implement these programs over an eight-year period amounts to nearly MAD 210 billion. This is why it is essential to establish steering, governance, implementation and evaluation mechanisms suited to this new generation of programs.The governance framework will be based on a bottom-up approach, starting at the local level. To this end, a commission chaired by the provincial governor will be established, bringing together elected officials and representatives of the State’s decentralized services. It will be responsible for drawing up the program, monitoring project implementation and consulting the populations concerned in order to address their needs while capitalizing on the potential of each territory.At the regional level, the wali will chair a commission responsible for consolidating the integrated territorial development programs of the various provinces, while ensuring the overall consistency of the projects.