Rabat: The government has successfully met the objectives outlined in the Royal initiative to expand social protection, a move aimed at enhancing social cohesion and ensuring equitable access to fundamental rights for all citizens, revealed Government Head Aziz Akhannouch at the House of Councillors. During a monthly session focused on oral questions concerning general policy related to equity and social protection, Akhannouch remarked that “the social protection initiative is emblematic of the Kingdom’s civilizational and humanitarian depth, and reflects the pioneering nature of Morocco’s reform model.”

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, this Royal project has laid the groundwork for the government’s social responsibility and provided a guiding framework for creating robust and inclusive social protection systems. Akhannouch emphasized that driving structural transformation in the social domain has become an urgent necessity, forming the core of a modern social state that guarantees social justice and promotes inclusive and sustainable development.

Akhannouch further explained that the government has embraced an integrated vision to adapt to the ongoing changes in the social protection sector, with the aim of enhancing its effectiveness. He highlighted that the development of institutional governance and the strengthening of technical, logistical, and financial capacities are crucial components for translating governmental interventions into a genuine social bond with tangible effects on the ground.

Moreover, the government has earmarked a substantial budget for the Direct Social Assistance Program, with 25 billion dirhams (MAD) allocated for the year 2024 and 26.5 billion MAD for the current year, with an aim to reach 29 billion MAD by 2026. This program, aligned with the High Royal Instructions, seeks to address various aspects of the social deficit faced by vulnerable families, targeting approximately 4 million households, which is about 60% of families not currently covered by a family allowance scheme.

The program is designed to provide eligible families with a monthly social allowance, ranging from a minimum of 500 MAD to a maximum of 1,200 MAD, depending on the household composition and specific circumstances of its members, Akhannouch concluded.