Direct Social Assistance Program Is Innovative Institutional Mechanism to Support Needy Families’ Purchasing Power – Govt Head –

The direct social assistance program, initiated by HM King Mohammed VI, is an innovative institutional mechanism to support the purchasing power of families in precarious situations, said the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch. “This project is an innovative institutional mechanism to support the families’ purchasing power, boost school attendance and provide social assistance for families, the elderly and people with disabilities,” said Akhannouch at Thursday’s meeting of the Government Council. Akhannouch added that this program, based on the efficient and effective targeting of families in precarious situations and backed by the Unified Social Register (RSU), “will have several positive repercussions, including the improvement of social and human development indicators, the reduction of poverty and precariousness rates, the contribution to consecrating solidarity between generations and the alleviation of financial burdens on families with elderly dependents.” To ensure the successful implementation of this important project, Achannouch noted that the Government Council today examined, within the framework of legal and organizational measures, two bills relating to the direct social assistance system and the creation of the national social support agency. He stressed that the government has interacted seriously and with a great sense of responsibility with the Royal social protection project, giving it great importance since its installation and ensuring its implementation in line with the Royal agenda, noting that the Executive has succeeded in generalizing medical coverage by the end of 2022. Pursuing this same dynamic, and in application of the High Royal Instructions, this year will see the launch of the direct social assistance program, which will make it possible to set up a social shield for the benefit of target categories, he added, noting that the value of direct social assistance will not be less than 500 dirhams for each targeted family, whatever its composition. Akhannouch took the opportunity to call on the members of the government and their departments to work effectively to bring this unprecedented national project to fruition and ensure its implementation, while ensuring that the targeted families benefit from it from the end of the current year, in application of the High Directions of HM King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him. At the start of the meeting, Akhannouch recalled the launch, yesterday Wednesday, in application of the High Royal Directives, of the operation to distribute the second tranche (2,500 dirhams) of financial aid intended for families affected by the Al Haouz earthquake, knowing that the first tranche (20,000 dirhams) of aid intended for the reconstruction of totally or partially collapsed housing, will be made available to beneficiaries next Tuesday, with a view to supporting the progress of construction work. Akhannouch also praised the colossal efforts made by the various ministerial departments involved in the operation to rebuild the provinces affected by the earthquake, underlining that the government is working seriously and effectively to implement the various axes of the program for the reconstruction and general rehabilitation of the areas affected by the Al Haouz earthquake, in execution of the High Royal Orientations.