Directed by Soubha Es-Siari I
The 16e International conference organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and FONDAFIP under the theme “Towards a better restructuring of the public financial governance model in Morocco and France” took place on November 1 and 2. Each year this conference becomes more mature given the themes chosen and which fit perfectly with reality. Also taking into account the ever-increasing number of economists, analysts and senior executives from the public and private sector who are expressing interest in this conference.
To discuss the issues of today’s theme, we interviewed Mr. Noureddine Bensouda, the General Treasurer of the Kingdom. The aim is to know in what context the choice of the theme fits and if we can deduce that despite the reforms deployed, public finances have reached a critical point imperatively calling for further restructuring.
In this conference, it is also a question of finding solutions to the problems raised. Precisely the paths to restructuring are multiple, we discuss the fight against international tax evasion, the three-year programming of public finances, the reorganization of controls… where is Morocco in these reforms and what are the other paths to take to restructure public finances?
Beyond this apparent technicality, it is necessary for economic operators and citizens to know exactly what impact public finances have on their daily lives. As such, each year the conference organized by the TGR and Fondafip focuses on current issues.
“Indeed, what has been noticed following these socio-economic, climatic, geopolitical crises… is that all of this impacts the daily lives of our citizens and that we must find answers. The financing of public policies necessarily involves determining the priorities of the period,” explains N. Bensouda.
And added: “Morocco made the choice to join in the strengthening of a social state and, as a result, it was necessary to finance the social protection project, finance infrastructure, support citizens in difficult times …The goal is then to mobilize resources without impacting the daily lives of citizens or deviating them from their course.”
To do this, the role of public finance governance is undeniable. Faced with a multiplicity of actors (State, local authorities, EEP, civil society, etc.), the idea is that instead of acting in silos and this is what is criticized in most cases, we must work in team, in complementarity. Joint work between the different actors makes it possible to converge towards a “mission” oriented public policy.
These two days of reflection are also intended to be an opportunity to examine the problem of debt which has become global. In the case of Morocco, the debt remains at sustainable levels. Borrowings are often oriented towards investments but this does not prevent us from saying that the interests skyrocket each year, weighing heavily on the state budget. It is still necessary to recognize that the debt rate in Morocco does not include that of EEPs and local authorities. An issue which has always been the subject of disagreement between economists, politicians and public authorities. But for the General Treasurer of the Kingdom, the main thing about the debt is how it is allocated. In other words, il it must be oriented towards productive investments.
At the end of the interview, we cannot help but ask Noureddine Bensouda the question about the importance of the budget-intensive investments made by Morocco and whether the kingdom has the means to achieve its ambitions if we start from the observation that the budget deficit is not under control. The General Treasurer of the Kingdom responds: “To make countries evolve, there is a course. For the case of Morocco, this course is set by His Majesty may God assist him to modernize the country in all directions, all sectors and throughout the territory. This royal ambition is executed by a government and by an administration which sees that there is strong support knowing that there is room for progress…”. These are state projects and successive governments are there to carry them out in accordance with the royal vision.
See also: [Podcast] This is what Michel Bouvier recommends for a governance model appropriate to today’s world
Related News :