"As of December 28, around one million families meeting the eligibility threshold for the Unified Social Register, equivalent to 3.5 million Moroccans, will benefit from the first tranche of this financial support, the value of which will not be less than 500 dirhams per family, whatever its composition, after these families have submitted their applications before December 10 and their files have been processed," explained Akhannouch in an address at the opening of the Government Council meeting.

The rest of the families who submitted their applications after the aforementioned date will receive their December and January payments at the end of next month, the Head of Government noted, adding that the door to submitting applications remains open to families meeting the eligibility threshold, in order to benefit from direct social support in the future.

While welcoming the fact that the government had already begun paying the first tranches of direct social assistance to families meeting the eligibility criteria this week, Akhannouch pointed out that the government had received more than 1.9 million applications through the www.asd.ma electronic portal since its launch at the beginning of December, noting that this number continues to rise daily.

He added that 2023 represents a pivotal year in the process of implementing the "Social State" projects and making available the financial resources to ensure their sustainability, whether in terms of the generalization of compulsory health insurance, direct social aid for families in poverty or precarious situations, or aid for the acquisition of primary housing.

With regard to the reform of the education system, Akhannouch said that it could only achieve its goals by strengthening the place and roles of teachers, adding that "it is for this reason that we have taken care to create a climate of trust with this category, notably by improving their financial situation, as reflected in the agreement of December 10 and the granting of a net and general monthly salary increase of 1.500 dirham minimum, the largest in the Kingdom's history, which will cost the State's finances more than 10 billion dirhams a year."

On the other hand, Akhannouch emphasized that, under the High Royal Instructions, the government had succeeded in transforming the challenges created by the Al Haouz earthquake into opportunities, by overseeing the reconstruction and development operation in the affected provinces.

Thanks to the enlightened vision of His Majesty the King, the government was able to manage this crisis with the required diligence and efficiency, in line with the High Royal Directions, added Akhannouch, noting that the Kingdom had shown great resilience in the face of the various challenges.