Morocco: First social benefits paid to one million people
In Morocco, families in financial difficulty will receive the first benefits in the country's history from Thursday 28 December. The announcement made by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch's government last October comes into effect at the end of 2023, and these payments come at the right time after several years of inflation and economic crisis.
Sidi Moussa market in the city of Salé, Morocco, in February 2023 (illustrative image). AFP - FADEL SENNA
By: RFI Follow
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With our correspondent in Rabat, Victor Mauriat
From Thursday (December 28th), more than one million Moroccan citizens will receive a minimum of 500 dirhams per month, which is about 48 euros. This aid can then increase according to the number of children or elderly dependents: a family with three children will receive 57 euros per month from the State.
Between the galloping inflation affecting the country, an unemployment rate of 13% and strong economic disparities, the Moroccan economy has been heavily marked by the crises of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine in recent years. So, this "social shield" program, as described by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and wanted for several years by King Mohammed VI, is intended to be a bulwark against the economic and social misery suffered by many Moroccans.
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While the average salary in the country is 360 euros, these social benefits were expected by trade unions and many political parties, and are in line with the generalization of public health coverage to 10 million households that began in 2021.
Until then, social assistance was indirect and involved the Moroccan state subsidizing certain consumer products through a compensation fund. It should also be reformed to target disadvantaged populations. But the timetable for this review has not yet been announced.
(
And with AFP)
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