Morocco's Budget Shift: Health, Education, and Equality Take Center Stage

Morocco is set to make some big changes in its upcoming budget. The focus? Health and education. Why? Because people are demanding better services. Youth protests have been happening, showing that many are unhappy with the current situation. The government is listening and planning to spend more on these important areas. But it's not just about throwing money at the problem. The finance minister, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, said they need to do a better job of showing what they're already doing. She also mentioned that they can reallocate funds from other projects to make sure people see improvements quickly. This means getting local hospitals running so people don't have to travel far for treatment. The budget will also include plans to reduce regional inequalities. This is part of King Mohammed VI's push to focus more on mountain and oasis regions. The goal is to make sure these areas get the attention they need without messing up the country's economic balance. On a different note, Morocco is also looking at its foreign exchange regime. They plan to start medium-term inflation targeting, with a goal of 2%-3% by late 2026 or early 2027. This is a change from their current annual target. As for the currency, the dirham is pegged to a basket of euros and dollars but has been allowed to float within a small range since 2018. When it comes to international debt sales, Morocco doesn't have any immediate plans. However, they expect to keep issuing debt regularly in the future.