Highlights

M. El Azami identified the problem of concentration of the financial performance of the tax system on some taxpayers. He added that about 87 % of the income tax results from employees and 80 % of the corporate tax comes from only 2 % of companies, hence the need to achieve tax fairness and the sustainability of fiscal resources.

In this respect, the Minister raised the issue of trust between tax authorities and citizens that comes up during control and tax disputes, considering the level of fiscal pressure required to maintain the competitiveness of the national economy and fairness of the tax system and the optimal level of contribution of direct and indirect taxes.

M. El Azami, in this regard, noted the need to revise the tax disputes and control system aiming at establishing a new relationship that put the tax authority at the service of the taxpayers.

In addition, Moroccan experts underlined the need to reform the tax system "which goes through serious deficiencies," including multiple tax rates and numerous tax exemptions that are subject to questions on their financial, economic and social efficiency.

The economist, Mr. Akesbi Najib stressed the need to reform tax system through widening the tax base. «The agricultural sector, particularly large farmers that currently do not contribute to tax revenues should be implied," stated Mr. Akesbi. He also stressed the importance of standardizing the income taxation system of employees and capital incomes, including property and stock-exchange transactions incomes, to contribute in equitable tax revenue. "The tax exemptions that benefit the private sector is a double loss for the State in terms of tax revenues and participation in national economic growth," specified Mr.Akesbi, stressing the importance of reviewing the current tax system governance to face taxation fraud.

Mr. Akesbi highlighted the need to introduce a tax on wealth and inheritances, to allow taxpayers to contribute to tax revenue, as well as review the existing scale of taxes, in particular the corporate tax (IS) and the income tax (IR) .

In his speech on "fiscal policy and economic policy: What relationship?", The president of the Association of experts working at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Mr. Mohammed El Maski, noted the importance of applying tax on agricultural fortunes and putting an end to "tax havens" to increase revenue and develop the national economy. Mr. El Maski also noted that economic policy should be linked to tax policy for more efficiency and consistency.

As for Mr. Omar El Asri, a member of the aforementioned association, he called for a procedural reform of the Moroccan tax system, by setting up the necessary mechanisms and human resources. Mr. El Asri noted the need to give the area under the advanced regionalization project, a strategic place and provide it with the means required to assume its public responsibilities.

The president of the federal parliamentary group of unity and democracy, Mr. Mohamed Daidaa, meanwhile, stated that tax reform should be based on the role of institutions, the rationalization of public decisions and control of economic policies and public expenditures.

The meeting, organized around the theme "the Moroccan tax system: reality and prospects", was initiated by the federal parliamentary group of unity and democracy in partnership with the Association of experts working at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.