فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Fes News – Rabat
December 4, 2025
The Advisory Council (House of Councillors) today, Thursday, approved in a plenary session Finance Bill No. 50.25 for the year 2026, by a majority vote, with 38 councillors voting in favor, 12 against, and 7 abstaining. This decision came after heated debates, and in the presence of the Minister Delegate for Budget, Fouzi Lekjaa, who traced the reform framework of the bill back to a path extending more than 26 years, emphasizing the political choice aimed at accelerating hospital construction and strengthening the foundations of the social state.
According to the report of the parliamentary committee specialized in finance, planning, and economic development, 72 amendments out of 227 were adopted, of which 224 relate to the first part of the bill. Additionally, 67 amendments were rejected, while 85 were withdrawn. The Advisory Council had previously voted on the first part of the bill the same day, with the same majority, reflecting a consensual dynamic around the financial directions for the coming year.
Financial Reforms: Joint Progress Between Government and Parliament
In the committee session, Minister Lekjaa highlighted the joint progress between the government and parliament in achieving overall fiscal balances, including deficit reduction, debt control, and international recognition of Morocco’s solid financial performance. He confirmed that these developments provide wider margins for making strategic decisions consistent with Royal Directives, especially in strengthening the social state. He also emphasized the government’s efforts in universalizing direct support for families, reforming social protection systems, and ensuring smooth transition of beneficiaries from the free medical care system (RAMED) to mandatory health insurance (AMO).
Councillors praised the measures contributing to maintaining fiscal balances, enhancing revenues, and rationalizing expenditures, while maintaining international community confidence. On the social level, they highlighted the financial effort allocated to the health sector, amounting to 42.4 billion dirhams, alongside continued construction of university hospitals, equipping new health centers, and creating 8,000 job positions.
2026 Finance Bill: Part of a 26-Year Continuous Reform Process
Lekjaa affirmed before the councillors that this bill is not an isolated text, but rather an expression of a continuous reform process that began more than 26 years ago, and that accelerating the pace of hospital construction and equipping reflects a political choice aimed at establishing the foundations of the social state. He indicated that the bill’s directions are fully consistent with Royal Speeches and the government program, especially in strengthening the social safety net, where millions of families today benefit from direct support through a more precise targeting system, and about one-third of RAMED beneficiaries have transitioned to AMO.
Expanded Reforms and Upcoming Measures
The Minister announced the launch of a reform for the job loss compensation system in the coming weeks, in parallel with gradually integrating active or retired workers into the new social protection structure. He explained that this endeavor is based on the principle of “positive accumulation,” which requires gradual strengthening over multiple years. The total cost of social reforms reaches about 50 billion dirhams, with continuous adjustment of access mechanisms.
Hospital Construction: A Clear Political Choice
Accelerating hospital construction, according to the Minister, comes in response to an explicit political will to strengthen the health and education sectors, as two fundamental pillars of Morocco’s future social state. He highlighted the resilience of the national economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, successive droughts, and rainfall shortages.
However, Lekjaa acknowledged the impact of these crises on public finances and the high debt level. On the other hand, he praised the results of tax reform, which contributed to an 18% increase in revenues, considering this a “source of pride” after two decades of major national conferences during the current legislature. He confirmed that the government began its term in a difficult context, but today has laid the foundations for a modern social state.
The bill will now be referred to the House of Representatives for a second reading, in a step that completes parliamentary procedures for adopting the annual budget. This decision is considered a decisive step in the path of financial and social reforms, with a focus on sustainability and social justice.
