Moroccan Bill Seeks to Establish Agency to Manage State Contributions

Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun speaks during a news conference in Rabat, Morocco (Reuters file photo)
Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun speaks during a news conference in Rabat, Morocco (Reuters file photo)
TT

Moroccan Bill Seeks to Establish Agency to Manage State Contributions

Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun speaks during a news conference in Rabat, Morocco (Reuters file photo)
Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun speaks during a news conference in Rabat, Morocco (Reuters file photo)

Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun has submitted before the parliamentary Finance and Economic Development Committee a bill on establishing a national agency for strategic management of the state’s contributions.

According to the minister, the bill is a “qualitative leap” in efforts to achieve inclusive reforms in the public contracting and institutions sector.

This is unprecedented in the history of Morocco, he added, given that the previous reforms were restricted to financial auditing.

The minister stressed that the bill is in implementation of the directives of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, who called for accelerating economic growth, building a competitive economy and creating jobs opportunities.

Founding the agency is also in the implementation of recommendations made by the parliament, the Court of Auditors, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. They urged setting a mechanism to manage the state’s contributions in public contracting and institutions.

The agency would be a public institution that is financially and administratively independent. It will later be transferred into a shareholder company.

The agency is entitled to restructure the public intuitions and contracting. It can also suggest the establishment of new ones.

It has the authority when it comes to “privatization” to study the possibility of transforming public contracting into the private sector.

Benchaaboun added that the agency will be headed by a manager in addition to five representatives of the state and three independent figures. It will work on enhancing the transparency of institutions.



Saudi-Thai Economic and Trade Committee Discusses Boosting Trade

The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa. SPA
The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa. SPA
TT

Saudi-Thai Economic and Trade Committee Discusses Boosting Trade

The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa. SPA
The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa. SPA

The Economic and Trade Committee of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council held on Thursday its first meeting in Bangkok to strengthen trade relations between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa.

The meeting was chaired by General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) Deputy Governor for International Relations Abdulaziz bin Omar Al-Sukran and Thai Ministry of Commerce Permanent Secretary Vuttikrai Leewiraphan.

The committee aims to strengthen trade relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand by exchanging expertise; fostering cooperation in economic and developmental fields; promoting food, health, and halal products; advancing industrial development; involving the private sectors of both countries in trade fairs and conferences; and addressing trade obstacles and challenges facing both nations.

The volume of trade between Saudi Arabia and Thailand reached more than $6 billion by the third quarter of 2024. Prominent Saudi exports included mineral products and fertilizers, while major Thai imports to the Saudi market included automobiles and their parts, as well as machinery and mechanical tools and their components.