The seven pillars of Morocco’s public enterprises revamp

King Mohammed VI has been briefed on the progress made in the revamp of enterprises in which the state is a stakeholder with the aim of improving governance, regional influence, promoting investments and territorial development, and enhancing competitiveness.

This came in a statement by the spokesman for the Royal Palace following a ministers’ council chaired by the Monarch in Casablanca Saturday, during which the finance and economy minister delivered a presentation on the ongoing reform of state enterprises.

The state stakeholder approach views public enterprises as a strategic lever to consolidate national sovereignty via backing state efforts in an array of critical sectors, such as energy, health, water, food security, the environment, connectivity, and mobility, said the minister Nadia Fettah.

Through the same reform, Morocco aims to make public enterprises a driver of integration at the continental and international levels in a way that addresses the geostrategic challenges faced by the country and safeguards its supreme interests, while helping to promote south-south cooperation, notably with African brotherly nations, she said.

The approach is also aimed at making public enterprises conducive to attracting private investments by engaging in partnerships with the private sector.

The fourth pillar consists in bolstering the competitiveness of state-owned enterprises to be able to offer productive jobs and stand out in a competitive environment, the minister added.

The reform also aims to make public enterprises contribute to bridging the territorial gap in terms of economic, social, financial, and digital gaps, as part of the advanced regionalization plan, while ensuring equal access of citizens in different regions to quality public services, she told the ministerial council.

Sustainability is also key to the reform in a way that enables these enterprises to act as an accountable player in achieving SDGs, ensuring sustainability in using resources, and reinforcing resilience to climate change, she said.

The seventh pillar consists in strengthening the role of state-owned enterprises in promoting governance and improving performance, she said.