Head of Government Fatima Zahra El Mansouri on Monday outlined her government’s program for 2026-2031, building on some policies introduced under her predecessor, Aziz Akhannouch, while setting new targets and commitments for the next five years.
The two programs differ in their approach to economic growth, employment, education, healthcare, housing, social protection and anti-corruption measures, among other areas.
Housing aid: From direct subsidies to rural housing
Akhannouch pledged to support the housing sector to stimulate economic activity and provide decent housing, although his program speech did not specify the measures that would be introduced. His government subsequently launched a direct housing aid scheme offering MAD 100,000 for homes priced at MAD 300,000 or less and MAD 70,000 for homes priced between MAD 300,000 and MAD 700,000.
El Mansouri’s program aims to make housing more affordable, improve neighborhoods and expand access to rental housing. It also includes plans to build or upgrade 100,000 rural homes during her term, with direct assistance of MAD 40,000 for eligible families.
Economic growth: A higher target for 2027-2031
Akhannouch set a target of raising annual economic growth to 4%.
El Mansouri has raised the ambition, targeting average annual growth of 5% between 2027 and 2031. Her program also aims to keep inflation at 2%, limit the budget deficit to 3% of gross domestic product and reduce public debt to around 62% by the end of her term.
Employment: From one million jobs to training and access to work
Job creation was a central pledge in Akhannouch’s 2021-2026 program, which promised one million net jobs over five years.
El Mansouri has not announced an overall job-creation target in her speech. Instead, she emphasized measures to help young people enter the labor market and improve their access to employment.
Her program includes training 100,000 young people annually, helping another 100,000 gain their first professional experience and expanding annual training capacity to between 150,000 and 200,000 beneficiaries.
The government also plans to support 60,000 businesses by facilitating access to financing, markets and public contracts. Additional measures include opening employment opportunities abroad through labor agreements and helping workers find jobs outside their home regions.
Healthcare: Strengthening services and addressing regional gaps
Akhannouch pledged to increase public health spending, make family doctors the first point of contact for patients, provide free and mandatory pregnancy checkups and newborn vaccinations, and improve access to treatment and medication.
El Mansouri’s program focuses on building on existing health and social protection reforms while addressing disparities in healthcare provision across regions. Her commitments include improving hospital reception and emergency care, expanding emergency medical services, and strengthening healthcare staffing and information systems.
Amazigh officialization: Doubling the annual budget
Akhannouch pledged to allocate MAD 1 billion annually from 2025 to a fund supporting the officialization of Amazigh, with national and regional advisory committees overseeing its work.
El Mansouri proposes doubling the fund’s annual budget to MAD 2 billion. Her program also calls for a permanent ministerial committee to oversee the use of Amazigh in education, public administration, the judiciary, media and public signage, alongside an annual report tracking progress.
Women’s empowerment: A broader focus on rights and equal opportunities
Under Akhannouch’s government, the target was to raise women’s economic activity rate from 20% to 30%, supported by measures to expand childcare services and improve transportation for working women.
El Mansouri’s program places broader emphasis on women’s rights and equal opportunities. Its priorities include financial independence, greater access to decision-making positions, protection from violence, and improved access to education, healthcare and social protection, particularly in rural areas.
Social assistance and pensions: Higher support and expanded benefits
Akhannouch pledged to lift one million families out of poverty and provide monthly allowances of up to MAD 1,000 to vulnerable people aged 65 and over by 2026.
El Mansouri’s program focuses on linking social assistance to beneficiaries’ actual income, raising monthly support from MAD 500 to MAD 1,000, increasing minimum pensions to MAD 3,000 and allowing widows to receive their deceased husbands’ full pensions rather than 50%.
Education: Preventing school dropouts
Akhannouch’s program included a pledge to provide MAD 300 per child per month in family allowances, expand preschool access to all children from age four and improve education quality, with the aim of placing Morocco among the world’s 60 highest-ranked countries in education.
El Mansouri has placed greater emphasis on preventing school dropouts, setting a target of eliminating the phenomenon by 2030.
Her proposed measures include identifying students at risk of leaving school, monitoring their progress and helping those who drop out return to education or enter vocational training.
Anti-corruption: Criminalizing illicit enrichment and addressing public procurement
Akhannouch pledged to make the fight against corruption a national priority and strengthen the independence and resources of the national anti-corruption authority.
El Mansouri has proposed additional measures, including criminalizing illicit enrichment and conflicts of interest, investigating collusion in public tenders and requiring public contracts to allocate 30% of their value to Moroccan small and medium-sized enterprises.
The proposed measures place public procurement and the distribution of economic opportunities among the areas targeted for closer scrutiny under the new government program.
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