3.5 million Moroccans will receive financial assistance from the government
Morocco's government, headed by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, will disburse direct financial aid to one million families, or 3.5 million Moroccans, starting 28 December, Morocco World News reports.
The initiative, presented by Akhannouch during a government council meeting in Rabat on Monday, aims to strengthen social welfare through the Unified Social Register.
"As of 28 December, approximately one million eligible families, including 3.5 million Moroccans, will receive the first tranche of this financial aid," announced Akhannouch, who also pointed out that "the minimum aid per family, regardless of its composition, will be 500 dirhams".
The Moroccan Prime Minister explained that the first beneficiaries will include families who submit their applications before 10 December and have their files processed. Those who have submitted their applications after the specified date can anticipate the December and January disbursements by the end of next month.
Akhannouch stressed the continued accessibility of the application process and urged eligible families to submit their documentation as soon as possible to ensure direct social support in the future.
The Moroccan leader has welcomed the "rapid start of aid disbursements" by the authorities, noting that more than 1.9 million applications have already been received since the initiative was launched in early December.
Morocco boosts social policies
The plan comes within the framework of a crucial year for the implementation of several social projects, collectively known as the 'social state'.
These include the widespread adoption of compulsory health insurance, direct social aid for families facing poverty or precarious conditions, and assistance programmes for the acquisition of residency.
In this regard, Akhannouch has also addressed transformative reforms in the education system, emphasising the crucial role of educators in achieving the desired results.
"We have ensured the creation of an enabling environment by building confidence among educators, as demonstrated by the agreement reached on 10 December, which grants a net monthly salary increase of a minimum of 1,500 dirhams," he said.
"This is the largest such increase in the history of the Kingdom, at an annual cost of more than 10 billion dirhams to state finances," Akhannouch added.
The social initiatives developed by the government follow the royal instructions to implement the Direct Social Assistance programme before the end of 2023.
This plan will benefit needy social sectors, as well as school-age children, disabled children, newborns and families in precarious situations without school-age children, particularly those with elderly dependents.