During a press conference held on Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Rabat, the High Commission for Planning explained that the total budget for this operation is estimated at 1.460 billion dirhams, of which 970 million dirhams are allocated to compensation (i.e. 67% of the budget) and 200 million dirhams to purchase technical means (tablets) and obtain logistics.
The High Commissioner for Planning, Ahmed Lahlimi, called on Moroccans to mobilize comprehensively, starting from September 1, to ensure the success of this census, which is considered a “national, sovereign operation with a Moroccan identity.”
The head of the High Commission for Planning said during the press conference: “We want a purely Moroccan census, not of the American type or any other. It is a non-political census, not right-wing or left-wing, and also not affiliated with any particular government.”
The total number of agents has been set at 50,000, distributed over a total of 38,000 districts. These agents must collect general information relating mainly to “the individual’s access to education, health and social security, water, electricity, and then the individual will be asked about his/her level of education and his/her occupation.”
It is about collecting general information to better understand how “Morocco is adapting to achieving the sustainable development goals recommended by the United Nations,” according to Ahmed Lahlimi, who stressed that the information to be collected will remain “completely confidential,” adding that it will only be available to the central committee of the High Commission for Planning.
Read also: Financial compensation and insurance for participants.. Measures taken by the Planning Delegation to ensure the smooth running of the census process
Al-Halimi added: “The individual will not be asked about his salary, nor his bank account, nor will he be given his national ID card.” The High Commissioner for Planning added: “The person will not be questioned about his religious beliefs or about individual freedoms.”
The head of the High Commission for Planning spoke of the high level of training and preparation of the 50,000 statisticians. These agents are made up of 60% students, some with advanced degrees, 32% teachers, and 5% civil servants. Among the statisticians, 37% are women and 37% young people. The census will include, he said, “all Moroccans residing in Morocco, in cities, villages, industrial zones, hospitals, prisons, nomads and sedentary people.”
He pointed out that the agents “were carefully selected according to multiple criteria,” in response to Abdelilah Benkirane (the head of the Justice and Development Party who inappropriately accused the High Commission for Planning of mismanaging the selection of agents). The agents will be provided with “a map to identify the locations and a route to successfully carry out their missions.”
The High Commissioner for Planning expressed his deep thanks to the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Information, the governors and workers, the staff of the High Commission for Planning, and other ministries, as well as to the non-governmental organizations and specialized international agencies of the United Nations for their support and contribution to the success of preparing this general census, which is the seventh of its kind.
Edited by Mohammed Shaker Alawi and Yassin Manan
On 08/30/2024 at 07:00, updated on 08/30/2024 at 07:00
