Morocco is preparing a new decree on public procurement that would build on the overhaul introduced three years ago. The draft is open to public consultation on the General Secretariat of the Government’s portal before continuing through the regulatory process. It extends the momentum created by decree 2-22-431, Finances News Hebdo reported.
The text aims to answer the expectations of contracting authorities and service providers alike, while correcting shortcomings seen over three years of application. It would clarify responsibilities in the award and execution of contracts, ease delegated project management and rationalize purchases governed by common law, strengthening legal certainty.
The draft also reinforces the social and territorial dimensions of procurement. Tenders for cleaning, security and maintenance of administrative buildings would give greater weight to social criteria. The text would also favor locally established companies for projects in their own regions, to stimulate local economies, encourage regional investment and create jobs.
El Mouloudi Benhamane, president of the National Federation of Building and Public Works, welcomed progress on transparency and fairness but called for vigilance towards international competition. National firms, the magazine notes, face powerful foreign rivals backed by substantial logistical and institutional support.
Mohamed Dahbi, president of the Association of Small Developers, pointed to new opportunities for small firms, which were often confined to subcontracting because access demanded strong finances and technical references. Under the draft, SMEs, very small businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs could bid directly.
The decree would also raise access thresholds to ease participation by smaller structures and set financial evaluation rules that are neutral towards fiscal disparities, notably value-added tax regimes, removing distortions of competition. Award criteria would ensure equal opportunity and transparency for every bidder.
