The committee’s chairman, Moulay Abderrahmane Blila, announced that the Socialist–Ittihad Opposition had withdrawn the amendments it had tabled, adding that the chairman of the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT) group, Noureddine Slik, a member of the committee who was absent due to a trip abroad, had expressed a positive stance toward this legislative text.
In a statement to the press, Mr. Blila emphasized that the unanimous approval of this bill stems from its importance and the timeliness of its provisions, highlighting the urgent need for the regions to implement the reforms it envisions.
Strengthening Regional Powers
There are essentially two provisions. The first concerns the expansion and strengthening of regional powers through the introduction of new core competencies aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of territorial development, he stated.
The second concerns the transformation of regional project implementation agencies into regional companies, with the aim of developing management and execution mechanisms and improving the efficiency of project delivery at the regional level, he added.
According to Mr. Blila, the draft organic law on regions is fully in line with the royal directives aimed at strengthening territorial development and territorial justice, supporting the implementation of advanced regionalization and reinforcing the role of regions as key actors in development.
Abdelouafi Laftit, Interior Minister, noted that this law comes at the right time to pave the way for the implementation of the new generation of integrated territorial development programs announced by King Mohammed VI.
In a speech following the adoption of the bill, Abdelouafi Laftit praised the positive engagement of councilors with the bill and their participation in discussions on various legislative texts related to the Ministry of the Interior, noting that this reflects close cooperation between the government and the House of Councillors and confirming their shared commitment to the success of ongoing reform and development initiatives in the Kingdom.
Three Pillars for Strengthening Regional Action
This legislation is based on three major and interdependent pillars that serve as a fundamental lever for improving regional performance and strengthening its role in development: the restructuring of regional powers according to the principles of efficiency and clarity, the modernization of project implementation mechanisms and the enhancement of their effectiveness, as well as the strengthening of financial resources and the promotion of sustainability.
The project is based on a vision of comprehensive reform that addresses existing constraints and restructures the logic of the Region’s intervention, thereby enabling it to fully play its role as a development actor. This objective is achieved by refining the regions’ responsibilities and focusing them on high-value-added sectors, aligning them with economic and digital transformations, strengthening implementation tools, and increasing financial resources, all within a territorial governance framework based on convergence and efficiency.
The project proposes strengthening the regions’ financial resources by significantly increasing the volume of financial transfers allocated to them reaching at least 12 billion dirhams per year starting in fiscal year 2027. This will enable them to finance structural projects and strengthen their capacity to achieve balanced regional development.
Regarding implementation mechanisms, this project introduces a fundamental reform consisting of transforming the Regional Project Implementation Agency into a public limited company with a new management model focused on flexibility and efficiency, while preserving the public nature of this mechanism and ensuring the continuity of its activities.
