Morocco's Higher Court of Accounts released a report on the 2024 financial audits of political parties, outlining the court's findings on the parties' financial management and compliance with regulations. The report is part of the court's constitutional mandate to audit the financial accounts of political parties. It covers the examination of 26 parties' accounts, with seven parties failing to submit their accounts. The court verified the legitimacy of expenses and evaluated the financial management of the parties.
The report notes that 23 parties submitted their accounts within the legal deadline, with two parties submitting outside the deadline. Seven parties failed to provide their accounts. Of the 26 parties that submitted accounts, 23 had their accounts certified by a certified public accountant, with 19 receiving clean certifications and four receiving qualified certifications. Three parties did not provide certification from a certified public accountant.
The court identified several issues with the parties' financial management, including a lack of supporting documentation for certain expenses and inadequate accounting practices. The court also found that some parties had not returned public funding to the treasury, with 14 parties owing a total of 10.51 million dirhams. The court noted that the return of public funding is an ongoing process and is being monitored in coordination with the relevant authorities.
In terms of resources, the parties reported a total of 131.81 million dirhams in 2024, with 65.84 million dirhams coming from state funding and 65.97 million dirhams from self-generated resources. The court found that some parties had not properly documented their self-generated resources, with 10 parties having unsubstantiated resources totaling 8.68 million dirhams.
The court also examined the parties' expenses and found that 19 parties had irregularities totaling 9.95 million dirhams. The irregularities included a lack of supporting documentation for certain expenses and inadequate accounting practices. However, the court did not find any evidence that public funding was used for purposes other than those intended.
The Higher Court of Accounts has made several recommendations to improve the financial management of political parties, including the need for parties to submit their accounts within the legal deadline and to provide proper documentation for their resources and expenses. The court has also recommended that the Ministry of Interior take steps to encourage parties to return public funding to the treasury and to provide training on financial management.
The report is available on the Higher Court of Accounts' website, along with summaries in Arabic and French. The court has emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the financial management of political parties and has called for continued efforts to improve compliance with regulations.
Key points
- The Higher Court of Accounts' report highlights the need for improved financial management and transparency among Morocco's political parties.
- The report notes that 14 parties owe a total of 10.51 million dirhams in unreturned public funding.
- The court has recommended that parties improve their accounting practices and provide proper documentation for their resources and expenses.
