Highlights

The Minister of Economy and Finance chairs the opening session of the 13th international conference on public finances

20/09/2019
The Minister of Economy and Finance chairs the opening session of the 13th international conference on public finances

Mr. Mohammed BENCHAABOUN, Minister of Economy and Finance, chaired in Rabat, Friday September 20th 2019 the opening of the 13th international conference on public finances, held under the theme : « what local finances in Morocco and France in an evolving world ? ».

During this meeting, Mr. BENCHAABOUN called for managing the scarcity of financial resources, applying innovative methods and finding new sources of financing. He noted that « Financial resources are now much more limited. This apply to local authorities as well as to the Government ».

To manage resource scarcity means coming up with a better allocation of current resources nationally and locally », he stated. He also added that the optimal distribution of resources at national and local levels would enhance the efficiency of local action and better meet the needs of the overall development of the country.

According to Mr. BENCHAABOUN, it is now urgent to be provided with a model able to rise to the current challenge, a model that releases our lands’ energies.

« To meet this challenge, the model towards which we ought direct our efforts should be light, flexible, able to adapt to the pace of changes in our surrounding world", he indicated at the opening session of this meeting.

The secretary general of Fondafip, director of the French magazine of public finances, Mrs. Marie-Christine Esclassan, welcomed on this occasion the "particularly active" and "fruitful" partnership, characterized by friendship and loyalty, that link Fondafip and the General Treasury of the Kingdom (TGR).

In addition, she stressed the various issues that were the main focus of the different editions of the conference organized jointly for 13 years.

On the other hand, the Treasurer General of the Kingdom, Mr. Noureddine Bensouda, pointed out in his introductory speech that reducing social and spatial inequalities is now a priority so as to initiate a further step of the development model.

According to Mr. Bensouda, a good implementation of the advanced regionalization is among the most efficient levers, in addition to the administrative deconcentration, with a view to a better rationalization of the territorial organization.

For this purpose, public finances are increasingly being requested in order to contribute to economic development and the reduction of social and spatial inequalities, he said.

In this regard, he called for an improved governance of local finances for high-quality local public services and argued, at the same time, that the reform of the Moroccan tax system must involve the effective reduction of tax incentives and expansion of the tax base. This two-days conference is held by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in partnership with the Association for the International Foundation of Public Finances (FONDAFIP) and the assistance of the French magazine of Public Finance.

Debates and discussions will include three axes:

  • Local Taxes as a key factor of local finances,
  • governance and local finances’ management in line with local development challenges,
  • local investments’ funding, particularly loans and fees.