Morocco's Open Budget Assessment Shows Mixed Results
In a recent international assessment, Morocco has received mixed reviews regarding its budget governance. The evaluation highlighted some modest progress in transparency; however, the country still struggles with civic engagement, parliamentary oversight, and limited accountability. The Open Budget Index for 2025, released by the International Budget Partnership, revealed that Morocco scored 51 out of 100 for transparency, 24 for public participation, and 51 for oversight. This index, which covers 83 countries, serves as the only independent research tool worldwide that adheres to international standards to evaluate how governments are open with their citizens about budgetary decisions, encompassing everything from taxes to services and public debt.
While Morocco's transparency score of 51 is comparable to its 2023 survey result, it still falls short of the 61-point threshold deemed 'sufficient' for public understanding of budgetary decisions, which is crucial for fostering informed public discourse. Notably, the report indicated that Morocco made a significant advancement by publishing its "pre-budget statement" online for the first time after its absence in previous editions. However, other essential documents remain either unavailable in a timely manner or are not produced at all.
Challenges in Public Participation and Accountability
The most alarming figure from the report is the public participation score of 24 out of 100, which places Morocco behind Egypt (35) but ahead of Jordan (18) and Tunisia (6). Despite the Ministry of Economy and Finance initiating "pre-budget consultations" and "electronic consultations" during the implementation phase, the report described these efforts as inadequate. It recommended expanding participation mechanisms to include any civil society organization or individual wishing to engage, rather than limiting it to specific entities or representative organizations involving marginalized communities.
Regarding parliamentary procedures, although public hearings are organized to approve the budget, there is currently no provision for members of the public or civil society organizations to testify at these hearings, whether concerning the budget proposal or the audit report. The International Budget Partnership has urged Parliament to address this issue and has also advised the Court of Accounts to establish formal mechanisms that allow the public to contribute to the audit and inquiry program.
On the oversight front, Morocco’s score of 51 indicates that both Parliament and the Court of Accounts provide "limited oversight." The report pointed out the absence of an independent fiscal institution, which is internationally recognized for providing unbiased and independent information to executive authorities and Parliament.
The report concluded with a series of recommendations for Morocco, including the timely online publication of audit and year-end reports. It also suggested enhancing the quality of budget proposals with more comprehensive data on economic forecasts and long-term financial sustainability. Moreover, making the Ministry of Economy and Finance's website accessible to Moroccans living abroad without geographical restrictions and ensuring that published PDF files are searchable could significantly improve access to information.
As reported by yabiladi.com.
