King Mohammed VI has called on the newly formed government and Parliament to work hand in hand for the implementation of the new development model, stressing that it is “not a blueprint for development in the traditional, rigid sense of the term”.
Morocco’s new development is “a general framework which is conducive to action, which sets out new standards and which opens up vast horizons for everyone”, underlined Friday the Monarch in his speech marking the opening of the Parliament.
The “National Development Charter” is an important mechanism for the implementation of the development model, in the sense that it involves national obligations before the King and the Moroccan people, added the Sovereign.
“The development model opens up vast prospects for the work of the government and of parliament – all components included”, said the King in his speech, noting that the new government is responsible for setting priorities and developing projects during its mandate, in addition to raising the necessary means to finance these projects, within the overall framework for implementing the development model.
“The government is also expected to complete the implementation of the major projects started, especially that of achieving universal access to social protection, which I care deeply about”, underlined the Monarch.
He likewise shed light on the economic situation of the country saying that the economy is clearly recovering, despite the unprecedented repercussions of the health crisis and the contraction of the global economy.
“Thanks to the measures I launched, the growth rate is expected to exceed 5.5 pc in 2021 – a rate which we have not seen in many years and which is among the highest at regional and continental levels”, said the King.
During the current year, “the agricultural sector is set to achieve remarkable growth – an increase of more than 17% – thanks to efforts to modernize the sector and also thanks to this year’s good harvest”, added the Sovereign, citing a noticeable increase in exports in a number of sectors, such as the automobile, textile, electronic and electric industries.
Despite the impact of the health global crisis, trust in Morocco and in the vibrancy of its economy has remained unchanged, as illustrated by the increase – up to August of this year – in foreign direct investments and in the remittances from Moroccans residing abroad, which have risen by approximately 16% and 46% respectively, explained the Monarch.
These developments have enabled Morocco to have comfortable hard currency reserves, he said, noting that despite fluctuations in global markets, the inflation rate has been kept under control – at 1% – which is significantly lower than the high inflation rates seen in a number of countries in the region.
All of these are indicators which call for optimism and hope, thereby boosting not only confidence among citizens and families, but also the entrepreneurial spirit among economic actors and investors, said King Mohammed VI, affirming that the state will carry on public investment and continue support measures and incentives for businesses.
The Moroccan Sovereign commended the good organization and positive atmosphere in which the recent elections took place, hailing the high voter turnout in these elections, particularly in the southern provinces.
The recent elections have confirmed the preeminence of the Moroccan democratic model as well as the principle of rotation in managing state affairs, said the King, noting the Parliament opens a new legislative term at a time when Morocco is embarking on a new phase which requires concerted efforts centered on strategic priorities in order to carry on with the mission of promoting development while facing up to external challenges.
He called in this regard for the consolidation of Morocco’s status and the defense of its best interests in an environment fraught with challenges, perils and threats.
“The Covid-19 crisis has shown that sovereignty issues are, once again, front and center. Each country is striving to preserve sovereignty in various domains, be it in relation to health, energy, industry, food or other sectors. This situation has led to manifestations of intolerance on the part of some actors”, said the Sovereign.
While Morocco managed to meet its needs and supply markets with basic goods regularly and in sufficient quantities, many countries have grappled with major disruptions in the provision and distribution of these goods, underlined the King in his speech to the Parliament.
He stressed the need to set up an integrated national system to manage the strategic reserve stock of essential goods and products, especially in the areas of food, health and energy.
“Our national needs should be regularly updated in order to enhance the country’s strategic security”, stressed the Monarch.
