"It must be absolutely emphasized that 99% of companies are not affected by this measure, given that they declare a profit of less than 5 million dirhams or a loss, and that 92% of employees are also not concerned given that their net salary does not exceed 10,000 dirhams, said Benchaâboun who responded to questions by members of the Finance and Economic Development Committee in the House of Representatives, during the general discussion of the 2021 Appropriation Bill.
"We must agree that we are facing an exceptional situation which has severely impacted our financial resources, and we are also in the process of setting up a reform project awaited by Moroccans, namely that of the generalization of compulsory health insurance", he said, recalling that nearly 22 million Moroccans will benefit from this project, including 10 million in precarious situations, registered in RAMED, and who will, today, benefit from this compulsory health insurance, like their fellow citizens working in the public and private sectors or exercising a liberal activity.
In addition, the Minister noted that the State "has provided and continues to provide considerable efforts in favor of this important class for our social balance", adding that successive social dialogues have cost the state budget more than 46 billion dirhams since 2008, or nearly 4 billion dirhams annually.
Thus, the average salary in the civil service rose from 5,600 dirhams to more than 8,000 DH, i.e. an increase of 44%, which represents 3 times the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita at the national level, he said, stressing in this context that the public sector wage bill, including the wages of public establishments and enterprises (EEP), absorbs more than 70% of the ordinary resources of the state general budget.
"We are facing a great challenge. On the one hand, continuing to reduce the budget deficit in order to stabilize the debt ratio over the coming years, and, on the other hand, it will be necessary to mobilize the needed resources for supporting major reform projects launched by HM the King, as well as raising the health and education budgets and supporting the various sectoral programs and strategies," said Benchaâboun.
He added that the government is aware that the EEP must show the example, through the reduction and rationalization of expenditure and by being a lever of development, and not a brake, as HM the King underlined in His latest speech.