Highlights

Workshop to discuss and review Infrastructures in Morocco

12/07/2019
Workshop to discuss and review Infrastructures in Morocco

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the World Bank Office in Rabat co-organized, Friday, July 12th 2019 at the Sofitel Rose Garden Hotel in Rabat, a workshop to discuss and review infrastructure in Morocco.

Held under the theme "Towards a new model of infrastructure planning and management", this event was chaired by Mr. Zouhair Chorfi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Mrs. Marie Françoise Marie-Nelly, Director of Operations at the World Bank's Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa. This meeting was attended by Mr. Lahcen Daoudi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of General Affairs and Governance and Mr. Abderrahmane Semmar, Director of Public Enterprises and Privatization.

This workshop focussed on two main sessions :

  • Cross-cutting session: Planning, prioritizing and financing of public investments in infrastructure;

  • Sessions of sector-based reviews: Transport, Energy / Electricity, Digital, Water and Sanitation.

This successful meeting, welcomed by the participants, was an opportunity to discuss the planning and prioritizing investments as well as mobilizing private financing including Public Private Partnerships. It also enabled to initiate an inclusive discussion on key reforms in the transport, energy, water as well as sanitation and telecommunications sectors, by involving all relevant partners namely, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry in charge of General Affairs and Governance, the Public Institutions and Enterprises involved, the line ministries and the World Bank Group (WBG).

The outcome of these debates should help in the elaboration of a roadmap for prioritizing public investments in infrastructures and determining the next cooperation actions between the WBG and the Moroccan Government in terms of infrastructure development according to the new Morocco Country Partnership Framework (2019-2024). This program provides for WBG support to accelerate reforms which objective is to reduce costs and increase the efficiency, planning and results of infrastructure investments while mobilizing the private sector to reduce dependence on public resources.

The co-organizers (MEF / DEPP and GBM) are committed to publish this workshop proceedings so as to provide stakeholders with a reference system to further the discussions initiated and define the actions to be included in the forthcoming roadmap.

​It should be noted that Morocco was heavily involved in the last two decades in all infrastructure sectors, including transport (roads, railways, airports and ports), water (including sanitation and irrigation) , electricity and information and communication technologies. These initiatives enabled a large part of its population to access basic services and strengthen the country's connectivity and reduce operating costs for businesses.