During a meeting of the Committee on Education, Culture and Communication at the House of Representatives, devoted to themes related to the press sector, Mr. Bensaid stressed that this support aims to consolidate the economic model media companies, to encourage investments, and to improve the socio-economic conditions of journalists and employees in the sector.
The new decree notably requires that the regional daily written press employ at least four professional journalists to benefit from public aid, a measure aimed at strengthening employment in the sector. The minister also invited press companies to develop regional centers and promote the specialized press.
Regarding the implementation mechanisms, a program agreement will be signed, the main objective being to preserve jobs within press companies.
Exceptional support in numbers
In 2024, the total amount of exceptional support for the press amounted to 325 million dirhams, intended mainly to cover salaries, contributions to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) and income tax. This aid program, established in 2020 to mitigate the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, began with an envelope of 164 million dirhams, allocated to companies respecting legal standards and declaring their employees to the CNSS.
At the same time, lump sum aid of 35 million dirhams was allocated to the press and publishing sector in 2024, including 1.4 million dirhams dedicated to the partisan press. The printing sector benefited from 9 million dirhams in 2024, while publishing received 30 million dirhams in 2023. However, the distribution sector did not receive any aid, due to ongoing debates around its economic model.
Audiovisual sector reforms
The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the situation in the audiovisual sector, in particular the stages of creating a unified public audiovisual center in the form of a “holding company”. This initiative aims to optimize the management of national public audiovisual communication companies and to promote the external and joint production of television programs and films.
This global plan marks a new stage in the structuring and support of the press and communication sectors in Morocco, while strengthening their resilience and their capacity to meet current economic challenges.
