The House of Representatives turned into a mess as soon as fuel prices were mentioned. This sensitive topic was on the agenda during the weekly oral question session. When asked about the dramatic increase in fuel prices, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, defended the government’s choices. The Executive, it should be recalled, has decided not to return to the decompensation of fuel prices, preferring to act through direct support to transport professionals to prevent the increase from being reflected in the prices of the latter. For Nadia Fettah Alaoui, the government has made an extraordinary effort by increasing by 40% the exceptional allowance allocated to carriers in July. This is in addition to the increase in the budget for the compensation of gas and wheat.
Answering questions from deputies, the minister refuted the idea of subsidizing directly the price of hydrocarbons arguing that it will impact the social projects in which the government is engaged (generalization of social coverage, increase in wages in the civil service …).
Taking part in the debate in the chamber, the Istiqlali group “For Unity and Equality” welcomed the strategy of the Executive, while recommending several solutions to mitigate the magnitude of the increase in fuel prices. In her speech, the MP Soumia Kadiri proposed the capping of prices and the cancellation of import taxes, if only temporarily. This is a measure that several countries have opted for, such as the United States. Other countries, such as France and Spain, have preferred to provide financial support to households through fuel vouchers for workers who travel by their own vehicles.
In addition to this, the deputy mentioned the old chestnut of the restart of the refinery of SAMIR as a solution that could solve the problems of stock. Indeed, the company is still subject to judicial liquidation, without any solution on the horizon, knowing that the Commercial Court of Casablanca has not managed to complete the procedure by finding a buyer. Until now, nothing augurs that this file will be closed in the short term.
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