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Weekly highlights

Energy transition: Big projects, big money

D ESPITE its length, Leila of the national electricity transmis-
sion network over the 2023-2027
Benali’s presentation of
period. The overall cost of this ope-
the sector budget to the
House of Councillors’ Productive ration is estimated at 23.4 billion
Sectors Commission on Thursday Dirhams (USD 2.34 billion). The
November 23 was enlightening in aim is to support the plan to equip
more ways than one. In addition and supply Morocco’s various re-
to achievements and projects for gions with electricity, and to streng-
the current year, the Minister for then regional integration. However,
Energy Transition and Sustainable it will have to await adoption by
Development discussed projects and ONEE’s (National Electricity and
initiatives to implement the strategic Drinking Water Office) Board of
vision and create investment oppor- Directors.
tunities. To this end, she plans to The supply of renewable energies to
update the multi-year plan for green industrial zones is also on the agen-
electricity equipment, and schedule da. The Minister’s idea is to pre-
the construction of additional capa- pare a program to supply them with
city of up to 9,281 megawatts (MW) competitive energy from renewable
over the 2023-2027 period. This re- sources. The goal is to achieve a
quires the mobilization of a budget real industrial take-off and support
of 85.6 billion Dirhams (USD 8.5 international challenges, particular-
billion ). It mainly relies on acce- Leila Benali has pledged to place energy efficiency at the heart of the concerns of professionals ly after the application of the carbon
and citizens alike. It will be necessary to strengthen institutional capacities and evaluate pro-
lerating the implementation of re- grammes to encourage savings in energy consumption, estimated at 20% by 2030 (Ph. Bziouat) tax by the European Union from
newable energy projects to the tune this year. For example, two projects
of 7,183 megawatts, i.e. 77% of This is to be achieved by program- The Minister also wants to step up have been authorized with a capa-
the electrical equipment plan. This ming the construction of 2.1 GW, investment in the power grid to en- city of 150 MW to supply industrial
will require the construction of al- i.e. 22% of the plan’s capacity. In sure optimum integration of ener- customers in the Kénitra area. Pro-
most 1.4 Gigawatts (GW) per year, addition, storage will be encouraged gies and guaranteed electricity sup- jects are currently being studied to
instead of 0.6 GW during the 2009- through the construction of energy ply to the various regions. The idea supply other industrial zones across
2022 period. The plan also includes conversion stations using pumping is to draw up a draft master plan for the country. o
encouraging the use of natural gas. and battery storage systems. the reinforcement and development Mohamed CHAOUI

Health: How to improve the healthcare offering

“T HIS is the second time implement an integrated hospital
that the question time
information system for public hos-
session in Parliament on
development of platforms linking
public policy has tackled the issue pitals in all regions of Morocco. The
of health. There will be a third time, IT systems and public hospitals is
because the issue is so important, ongoing. The coming year will focus
and it will be a question of making on implementing the components of
a midterm assessment of where this project, through the rollout of
we are, what is working and what the integrated hospital information
is not” . This was the gist of the system in all regions. This system
Head of Government’s reaction to will be extended to primary health-
the comments made by one parlia- care facilities in all regions, with the
mentary group after another in the implementation of the shared medi-
House of Representatives on Mon- cal record
day, November 27. Without saying In this architecture, citizens will be
it openly, it is a point scored by obliged to go through their family
minister Khalid Ait Taleb, who has doctor. The family doctor will be an
managed to get the reform of his For Aziz Akhannouch, the aim is to make hospitals more attractive. Significant resources essential link in the chain of care,
sector back on track. For the Head are being invested to improve the public sector offering. Thereafter, competition between reducing pressure on emergency
the public and private sectors will play to the full. The main thing is to give citizens the
of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, opportunity to choose which system to opt for services and directing patients to a
it is a question of working with the specialist if necessary. On this occa-
Minister of Health and Social Pro- sectors will play to the full. The healthcare sector. The aim is to im- sion, the Head of Government gave
tection to increase the attractiveness essential thing is to give citizens the prove care pathways and optimize a timetable for the implementation
of hospitals. Substantial resources opportunity to choose which sys- the use of available resources in or- of this profession, which will be
are being invested to improve pu- tem to opt for. At the same time, the der to guarantee the efficiency of in- effective in the field as early as next
blic provision. Thereafter, competi- Ministry of Health has embarked on terventions and reduce their costs. In year. o
tion between the public and private a proactive policy to digitalize the practice, the goal is to develop and M.C.
Friday 1st December 2023