"The unprecedented scale of this (health) crisis effectively urges us to think about further strengthening the social orientation of the government", noted El Otmani in an interview published in the daily edition of "Maroc Hebdo", adding that several proposals are being studied, and "we will decide on the appropriate improvements in due course".

He noted that the government program has a "very strong" social orientation, citing in this regard some achievements such as the social agreement with the trade unions in April 2019 and the significant increase in the budgets of several social sectors: the Tayssir program, student grants, transport and school canteens.

El Otmani also recalled that the government launched two foundations of social protection, resulting in an integrated national social protection policy with a targeting program under way based on the social identifier and the unique social register, noting that this crisis has demonstrated the relevance of such social orientation, confirmed by actions taken on the ground to support salaried employees who have temporarily lost their jobs and are affiliated to the CNSS, as well as the ramed card holders and non-holders.

Responding to a question about the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the national economy, El Otmani said that the year 2020, whose first quarter ended rather on a positive note, will not only be difficult for the Moroccan economy, but also for all the countries around the globe, including the world's superpowers.

Morocco is not immune to what is happening in its international and regional neighbourhood, and clearly the pandemic is currently impacting the national economy, notably because it is integrated into the global economy and transnational value chains, he said, adding that this pandemic has not only negative economic effects, but also human and social ones.

Regarding the “response” adopted by the Kingdom in this exceptional situation, the head of government stressed that the choice of Morocco, from the onset of the crisis, was made, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, for the preservation of human lives, regardless of any other consideration, by taking strict preventive measures early on, ranging from suspending all passenger transport to and from the country to the strict lockdown involving citizens and the shutdown of schools and universities, cafes, restaurants, and mosques.

"It is true that it is very expensive for our economy but it is the price to pay to avoid heavy losses in human and health terms", he said.

In this context, El Otmani wanted to cite three strong points in relation to the minimization of the impacts of this crisis, namely the far-sighted decisions of HM the King, the great surge of national solidarity by fellow citizens and the strong collective mobilization of the government and all the institutions and bodies of the Nation.

Asked about the priorities of an amended appropriation bill which is being discussed, he clarified that this bill first requires a better estimate of macroeconomic parameters, in order to build it on serious and plausible assumptions, noting however that these parameters are currently constantly changing, and need to be better defined.

“We are closely monitoring the economic situation, and, for the time being, we have given our instructions, through a circular, to administrations and public establishments to rationalize expenditure and direct available resources towards the priorities needed to face the health crisis and its economic and social impacts; and this until the end of next June," he said.

El Otmani noted that the coming months will allow us to decide on a possible amendment of the appropriation bill.

In response to a question on the "limits" of the health sector, particularly in terms of human resources and equipment, he said that the emphasis had been laid on upgrading the health sector from the start of the government mandate, stating that since 2018, the number of new recruits assigned to the health system each year has doubled and the budget allocated to health has increased over the last two years by almost a quarter.

He underlined that thanks to preventive measures "the situation is under control in our hospitals”, thanking HM the King "who gave His orders for the military medicine, with its means and its staff, to support our civilian health care system."

El Otmani noted that the Ministry of Health took vigorous measures from the onset of the crisis, by putting in place protocols to be followed in connection with Covid-19 patients.

He also affirmed that the health situation in Morocco is under control, and that the national health system is well equipped and has resources to face this health crisis, noting that currently only 14% of the intensive care capacities dedicated to Covid-19 are used.

On the informal sector, he said that its workers should be supported to integrate the formal sector, comply with regulatory provisions, and benefit from fiscal and social equity, stressing that through their integration in the formal sector, this section of the population will become visible and contribute to the economy of the country in the context of a united, fair and equitable Morocco, capable of supporting its citizens in all circumstances.

Regarding businesses threatened with bankruptcy, the head of government noted that we are now witnessing paradigm shifts on several levels and “we must be aware of this to better prepare for the future”, saying that what is happening today will not only lead to the emergence of a new development model, but also to new ways of working, producing and consuming.

He pointed out that the Moroccans demonstrated this strong potential for adaptation which surprised many, even at the international level, when Moroccan industries rapidly started producing masks and respirators.

He insisted that the government, for its part, will spare no effort to support these transformations, as was the case with the Imtiaz technologies program, which supports MSMEs investing in the manufacturing of products.