Suspicion Surrounds Public Contracts as Elections Approach
As Morocco gears up for its upcoming legislative elections, concerns about financial and administrative irregularities have surfaced, particularly within several regional councils. Inspectors from the General Inspection of Territorial Administration (IGAT) are currently conducting investigations into potential fraud related to the awarding of significant public contracts. These inquiries have been prompted by alarming reports of misconduct, with some elected officials, who are also candidates in the upcoming elections, allegedly involved in these dubious practices. The situation has created a tense atmosphere as the integrity of the procurement process comes into question, as reported by the daily newspaper Assabah.
Reports suggest that investigations are focusing on regional councils led by elected officials who are seeking re-election. The aim of these inspections is to uncover financial discrepancies and administrative irregularities linked to major public contracts. Although the audits were delayed due to a shortage of personnel, leaks from technical services in certain prefectures and provinces indicate serious dysfunctions. There are growing suspicions regarding opaque contracting procedures, despite the implementation of digital platforms intended to enhance transparency in public procurement.
According to Assabah, an official from the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region disclosed that significant public contracts, particularly those concerning rural road projects, have been marred by "gray areas". A deputy has described the practices observed as "manipulative", claiming that participation conditions for these state contracts were tailored specifically to exclude small and medium-sized enterprises. This raises eyebrows particularly because the Ministry of Equipment and Water, headed by Nizar Baraka, who is also the Secretary General of the Istiqlal Party, does not impose such criteria for these types of contracts, thus allowing lower-ranked companies to participate.
The consolidation of all rural road work into a single contract across the regional territory, with a stipulated execution period of eight months, has intensified suspicions about the fairness of the process. This approach contradicts best practices which advocate for dividing projects into multiple lots to foster competition and reduce completion times. Furthermore, critical procedural flaws have been identified, such as the unsealing of the budget envelope for these contracts prior to the completion of the technical studies related to the roads in question. Such oversights not only violate the organic law requirements for council approval but also expose the process to deeper scrutiny from inspectors.
Insiders from the technical services have expressed disbelief that offers were evaluated before the technical studies were finalized, a practice that appears to circumvent directives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance that stress the need for transparency and fairness in accordance with constitutional mandates. The ongoing investigations could potentially lead to serious repercussions for high-ranking officials, including legislative candidates suspected of trading political support for financial gains tied to these contract awards in various regions.
As reported by fr.le360.ma.
