King Mohammed VI chaired, on Wednesday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a working session devoted to the reconstruction and general upgrading program for the regions hit by the Al Haouz earthquake that will cover five years with an overall budget of $12 billion (120 million DH).
This new working session follows the meetings the Sovereign chaired on September 09 and 14, which laid the groundwork for a well-thought-out, integrated and ambitious program designed to provide a strong, coherent, swift, and proactive response to the disaster.
With an estimated overall budget of $12 billion over a five-year period, the first version of the integrated and multi-sectoral program presented before the Sovereign covers the six provinces and prefectures affected by the earthquake (Marrakech, Al Haouz, Taroudant, Chichaoua, Azilal and Ouarzazate), targeting a population of 4.2 million.
Based on a convergence approach and an accurate diagnosis of needs, as well as an analysis of territorial potential and local players, this program includes projects aimed at rebuilding dwellings and refurbishing and upgrading affected infrastructures, in line with the emergency measures decided at the September 14 meeting, on the one hand, and strengthening socio-economic development in targeted areas, on the other.
The program is structured around four main components, namely relocating people affected by the disaster, rebuilding dwellings, and rehabilitating infrastructure; opening-up and upgrading regions; accelerating the absorption of social deficits, particularly in the mountainous areas affected by the earthquake; and encouraging economic activity and employment, and promoting local initiatives.
The program also includes, as ordered by the King, the establishment, in each region, of a large platform of essential reserves (tents, blankets, beds, medicines, foodstuffs, etc.) to deal swiftly with natural disasters.
During this working session, the King urged the government to implement the vision presented at the level of each of the provinces and prefectures concerned.
Likewise, the Sovereign stressed once again the importance of listening to the needs of the local population in order to provide it with appropriate solutions, while giving due importance to the environmental dimension and respecting the unique heritage, traditions and lifestyles of each region.
King Mohammed VI also insisted on the need to demonstrate exemplary governance, the watchwords being speed, efficiency, rigor and convincing results, so that this program of reconstruction and general upgrading of the stricken regions becomes a model of integrated and balanced territorial development.
Funding for this major program will come from the general State budget, contributions from local authorities and the Special Solidarity Bank Account dedicated to managing the effects of the earthquake, as well as through donations and international cooperation.
To that end, the King instructed Hassan II Fund to contribute by 2 billion dirhams to the financing of this program.
The meeting was attended by ministers including the head of the government and the Inspector General of the FAR and Commander of the South zone.