The most prominent headlines in Moroccan newspapers published today, Saturday, April 20, 2024

Agadir 24 | Agadir24

The following is a display of the most prominent national newspaper headlines issued today, Saturday, April 20, 2024:

Controversy over the automatic exchange of property and accounts of Moroccans abroad (news)

The controversy has returned once more, regarding providing European countries with information regarding the property and accounts of Moroccans residing abroad. Nadia Fattah, Minister of Economy and Finance, confirmed in response to a parliamentary question that the multilateral agreement for competent authorities regarding the automatic exchange of information related to financial accounts, which Morocco signed in 2019, has not yet entered into force. She explained that Moroccans residing abroad are obligated to declare their global incomes (incomes generated from local and foreign sources) in their countries of residence, not in accordance with international agreements, but rather in accordance with the national systems of each country, which may also require reporting their financial accounts abroad. The Minister highlighted that the aforementioned agreement does not concern information related to real estate property, but rather is limited to information related to the financial accounts of non-resident persons, with the aim of exchanging it with the tax authorities of the country of residence for tax purposes.

The crisis in medical colleges deepens, and a student strike threatens a white year (News)

The specter of a “white year” hovers over the faculties of medicine and pharmacy, in light of the blockage of dialogue and the intensification of the ongoing conflict in the faculties of medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry between students who have been boycotting studies and exams for more than 4 months, and between the ministries of higher education and health. The students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy are making a number of demands, mainly to push the government to “undo the reduction of the years of study from 7 to 6 years, restructure the third year, and reconsider the issue of increasing the number of foreign students, in light of the lack of infrastructure sufficient to guarantee Training in good conditions, and increasing compensation for trainees in the third, fourth and fifth years.” On the other hand, the Ministries of Higher Education and Health insist that reducing the formative years is an “irreversible, sovereign decision.”

Employees of public administrations and territorial communities continue their protest (Moroccan Sahara)

Several professional groups in public administrations, institutions, territorial communities, and their retirees continue their protests, due to what they call “the failure to open the door to dialogue on the part of the guardian authorities.” In this context, the administrative officials decided to continue the protest, organizing a national march today, Saturday, in Rabat. Ali Lotfy, Secretary-General of the Democratic Labor Organization, said, “During the protest march, the administrators will demand improving their financial, professional, and living conditions, and confronting the erosion of wages and the decline in purchasing power,” due to what he called “the insane rise in prices and inflation, and the result of government policies that led to stark disparities in salaries.” And wages, the dominance of compensation at the expense of the basic salary, and the lack of uniformity in promotion and career path, due to the obsolescence of the general basic system for public employment and the system of territorial communities.”

Washington.. The Minister of Economy and Finance highlights the reform agenda implemented by Morocco under the leadership of His Majesty the King (Morocco Sahara)

In Washington, Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fattah, highlighted the reform agenda that Morocco is implementing, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Fattah explained, in an intervention during a ministerial roundtable organized by the World Bank Group within the framework of its spring meetings with the International Monetary Fund, that “our country is embarking on a solid reform program thanks to the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, through the new development model and ensuring the convergence of public policies.” The Minister touched, in particular, on the remarkable progress achieved in the field of universalizing social protection, which is one of the basic pillars of the royal vision, highlighting that three years following the launch of these workshops, regarding 22 million Moroccans have been able to benefit from health coverage.

Mirawi gives last chance to medical students (Al-Sabah)

Abdellatif Mirawi, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, called on medical students to return to the stands once more, before the end of this month, to avoid a white year, and to take advantage of the opportunity of the remedial session to ensure success, as the problem of zeros will be overcome. The minister said that the government “is fully prepared to cancel the disciplinary measures once morest the instigators of the strike, if classes resume.” In response to the interventions of some parliamentarians in the Education and Culture Committee of the House of Councilors, following they accused the government of “suppressing” students and failing them because of giving them zeros and referring the files of some of them to the judiciary to expel them, Mirawi said that what was promoted “are mere fallacies that will not be allowed to pass,” highlighting “Some students intimidate their colleagues to prevent them from continuing their studies.” He stated that “the government responded to 45 points in the demand file, and refused to interact with only 5 points, because they affect national sovereignty in the training of doctors.”

Inspection to control the wealth of judges (Sabah)

The Supreme Council of the Judicial Authority, within the framework of the synthesis strategy, began studying the proposal to estimate the wealth of judges. “Al-Sabah” sources reported that the estimation of the judges’ wealth comes due to what the Committee for Regular Examination of the Development of Property and Income Declaration at the Supreme Council of the Judicial Authority found, regarding the presence of judges who did not submit a property declaration in accordance with the law, which is what prompted the President-Delegate, Mohamed Abdel Nabawi, to issue a memorandum. It confirms the observations it recorded regarding the judges’ dealings with the declaration of their property, the first of which was the irregularity in making or renewing the declarations within the deadlines specified for that. The memorandum indicated that the committee also observed a mismatch in the declarations in terms of the quality, prices, and dates of ownership of the declared properties and movables, calling on judges to adhere to the legal requirements for property declarations, and to be careful to fill them out with the required accuracy.

Report: A significant decline in marriages in Morocco (Al-Masa’a)

Morocco is witnessing a worrying transformation in the institution of marriage, as official statistics indicate a sharp decline in the number of marriages, compared to a noticeable increase in divorce cases over the past 15 years. The High Commission for Planning revealed, in a shocking report, that marriage contracts witnessed a decline in the year 2022 to 251 thousand contracts, following reaching 269 thousand contracts in the year 2021. In 2019, 275,000 marriage contracts were concluded, according to what the delegation revealed in its latest report on social indicators in Morocco. The delegation added that the number of marriage contracts signed in 2008 reached 307,000 contracts, which means a significant decline in marriage rates over the past 15 years. Regarding divorce rates, the same report stated that divorce contracts and judicial divorces reached 88 thousand divorce cases during the year 2022, while 2008 recorded approximately 55 thousand divorce cases.

Dismantling a fraud network led by a Syrian (Al-Massa)

Members of the regional division of the judicial police in the city of Fez, based on accurate data provided by the services of the General Directorate of National Territorial Surveillance, were able to arrest five people, including three women and a Syrian citizen residing in Morocco, on suspicion of their involvement in fraud and defrauding those wishing to immigrate and human trafficking. A security source explained that the criminal method adopted by the suspects is to lure victims and rob them of sums of money, whether in exchange for false promises to provide them with work contracts, or mediation for their benefit in obtaining fake work contracts abroad to facilitate their subsequent exploitation by prostitution networks and international organized crime. He added that the inspections carried out in the context of this case enabled the seizure of a group of identification and travel documents belonging to the victims, as well as the seizure of forged employment contracts and receipts for financial transfers suspected of being the proceeds of these criminal activities.

Social psychology students protest (Socialist Union)

The Moroccan Association of Students and Researchers in Social Psychology entered the line regarding the exclusion of those with this specialization from the list of specializations required in the competition announced by the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, which is expected to take place on May 5, 2024. The association expressed, in a statement, She expressed her “dissatisfaction” with this exclusion, declaring that “not including social psychology among the required specializations ignores the role of this crucial and effective science in understanding human behavior within the social context, especially in the prison environment where social interactions and relationships have a direct and profound impact on the chances of reintegration.” “Successful.” In order to remedy this exclusion, the Moroccan Association of Students and Researchers in Social Psychology called on the delegation to reconsider this decision and include social psychology among the specializations.

Liberia reaffirms its support for the territorial integrity of Morocco and its sovereignty over its entire territory, including the Moroccan Sahara (Socialist Union)

The Republic of Liberia, in Rabat, reaffirmed its support for the territorial integrity of Morocco and its sovereignty over its entire territory, including the Moroccan Sahara. This position was expressed in a joint statement issued following talks between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and the Liberian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sarah Bessolo Nyanti. In this joint statement, Nianti reaffirmed her country’s support for the autonomy initiative, which was presented by the Kingdom in 2007, and which constitutes the only reliable and realistic solution to settle the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara. In this regard, she praised the efforts of the United Nations as the exclusive framework for reaching a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.

In order to enhance security cooperation…the French Minister of the Interior arrives in Rabat (Message of the Nation)

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin will arrive in Rabat tomorrow, Sunday, as part of an official visit that will last for three days. Identical French media sources confirmed that the discussions of this visit will focus mainly on developing security cooperation between Morocco and France, as the French official will hold a series of meetings with Moroccan officials, including the Minister of the Interior, Abdel-Wafi Laftit, and the Director-General of the General Directorate of National Security, Abdel-Latif Hamouchi, to discuss Various topics, including combating organized crime, cooperation in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and immigration issues. The same sources added that the French Minister of the Interior is expected to review the file for granting French visas to Moroccan citizens, which the French authorities surrounded in 2021 with a set of restrictions.

The government is besieging the chaos of “arbitration” and mediation (The Nation’s Message)

The Government Council approved draft Decree No. 2.23.1119 specifying the methods for maintaining the list of arbitrators and the conditions for registering and finalizing it, presented by the Minister of Justice, Abdel Latif Wehbe. The Minister in charge of relations with Parliament, the official spokesman for the government, Mustafa Paytas, explained during a press interview following the weekly meeting of the Government Council, that this project comes in implementation of the requirements of Article 12 of Law No. 95.17 regarding arbitration and mediation agreement issued in implementation by Royal Decree No. 1.22.34 of 23 From Shawwal 1443 (May 24, 2022), which stipulates that private individuals who carry out arbitration tasks on a regular basis or within the framework of the profession to which they belong, individually or within a legal person, must be registered on a list of arbitrators. This article also refers to a regulatory text. It specifies the methods for maintaining this list and the conditions for registering and terminating from it.

Bourita: Liberia’s consistent and positive positions regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue have strengthened the consolidation of bilateral relations (Liberation)

Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, confirmed in Rabat that Liberia’s consistent and positive positions regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue have strengthened the consolidation of bilateral relations. Bourita highlighted, in a joint press conference with his Liberian counterpart, Sarah Bessolo Nyanti, that these positions were embodied on more than one occasion, especially through the opening of a Liberian consulate in the city of Dakhla in March 2020, noting that “Liberia was one of the first countries to open a consulate in Southern Provinces. In the same context, the minister added that relations between Morocco and Liberia have witnessed significant development in recent years thanks to the vision and instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

The Moroccan Retirement Fund joins the “Data Thiqa” program to protect personal data (Le Matin)

The Moroccan Retirement Fund and the National Committee for Monitoring the Protection of Personal Data signed, in Rabat, a partnership agreement to join the “Data Trust” program. This agreement constitutes a mechanism for the Fund’s official involvement in the “Data Trust” program, which was launched by the National Committee on July 9, 2020, with the aim of achieving proactive protection for Moroccan citizens within the digital system, and strengthening measures to protect data of a personal nature. Under this partnership between the two institutions, training courses will be organized, in particular, on the protection of personal data, and a model access to the electronic application for the dematerialization of notifications of the National Committee for Monitoring the Protection of Personal Data, in addition to supporting the Fund in making the processes of processing this data internally in line with With the growing digital system.