Major shift concerning local dev requires tangible change in mentalities, work methods: Morocco king

The major shift to achieve concerning local development necessitates a tangible change in mentalities and work methods, and requires actual consolidation of a result-oriented culture, Morocco's King Mohammed VI has said. 

In his speech at the opening of the first session of the 5th legislative year of the 11th Legislature yesterday (10 October), the Sovereign pointed out that this approach should be based on accurate field data as well as on the use of digital technology, reports Mapnews.

Highlighting having called in the last Throne Day Address for accelerating the march of emerging Morocco, and launching next-generation programs for local development, the King affirmed that these are major questions that exceed governmental and parliamentary terms and timeframes. 

The next-generation local development programs, which the government has been asked to prepare in line with the High Royal Guidelines, must be marked by a faster implementation pace and stronger impacts, "making sure urban and rural areas equally benefit from them," the Sovereign explained.

This concerns, in particular, the key priority areas "I had identified, especially the promotion of local initiatives and economic activities, the creation of job opportunities for young people, and the achievement of tangible progress in the education and health sectors, as well as local rehabilitation policies," the King continued.

Pointing out that one cannot be complacent when it comes to the effectiveness and return on public investment, the Sovereign called on everyone — each from their position — to combat all practices that squander time, effort, and resources. 

Recalling the directives given in the Throne Day Address regarding local development, the King called to give special attention to the most fragile areas, taking into account their specificities and the nature of their needs, especially in mountainous regions and oases.

"Harmonious local development cannot be achieved without effective integration and solidarity between regions and areas," the Sovereign said.

In this respect, the King reiterated that it is necessary to reconsider the development policy for mountainous regions, which account for 30% of the national territory, noting the need to come up with an integrated public policy for these regions — one that takes into account their specificities as well as their numerous resources.

The Sovereign also called to achieve the optimal use of sustainable development mechanisms regarding our coastline, including the Coastal Law and the National Coastal Plan.

The goal, the King added, is to strike the required balance between the rapid development of these areas, the need to protect them, and the valuation of their enormous potential, within the framework of a national maritime economy that creates wealth as well as job opportunities. 

The Sovereign also called to expand the scope of the emerging rural centers program as a suitable mechanism for the management of urban expansion and the mitigation of its adverse effects. 

These emerging centers will also serve as an effective link for bringing administrative, social, and economic services closer to citizens in rural areas, the King indicated.

The Sovereign also assured that Morocco has embarked on achieving greater social and territorial equity "thanks to the dynamics I set in motion," adding that "I seek to ensure everyone benefits from the fruits of growth, and from equal opportunities among the citizens of our unified country, when it comes to political, economic, social, and other rights."

Considering that "the level of local development to be the mirror that truly reflects the progress of the emerging, united Morocco we are all seeking to consolidate," the King said that "achieving social justice and combating inter-regional disparities are not empty slogans, nor do they constitute a temporary priority whose importance may decline depending on circumstances."

"Rather, I view this as a strategic policy objective to which all actors must adhere; it is a vital, core element which must govern and determine all development policies," the Sovereign underlined.

In this respect, HM the King maintained that "the efforts made by emerging Morocco to achieve social and inter-regional equity today require mobilization of all of the nation's energies."