Morocco's Independent State-Owned Enterprises Focus on Public Value and Trust

Morocco's independent state-owned enterprises are a crucial part of the country's public administration, providing essential services to citizens in areas such as healthcare, education, and technical services. These enterprises operate with a degree of autonomy, allowing them to manage their resources and finances more efficiently. With 171 such enterprises in operation as of 2026, they are a key component of the government's efforts to deliver high-quality public services.

The Moroccan constitution emphasizes the importance of these enterprises in delivering public services, with Article 154 stipulating that they must be organized on the basis of equality of access, fairness in coverage, and continuity of service. The articles also highlight the need for transparency, accountability, and responsiveness to citizens' needs. These enterprises are designed to be responsive to citizens' needs, with a focus on delivering high-quality services that meet their expectations.

The 2015 Organic Law on the Finance Law marked a significant shift in the management of public enterprises, introducing a results-based approach to management. The law requires that these enterprises be financially sustainable, with a minimum of 30% of their resources generated through their own activities. This approach aims to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public resources, and to ensure that these enterprises are accountable for their performance.

The 2021 Public Service Charter law further reinforced this approach, emphasizing the need for public enterprises to be responsive to citizens' needs and to deliver high-quality services. The charter sets out a range of principles, including equality of access, continuity and quality of service, transparency, and accountability. These principles are designed to guide the operation of public enterprises and to ensure that they are focused on delivering value to citizens.

The National Ombudsman's 2025 annual report highlighted the need for a more nuanced approach to evaluating the performance of public enterprises, one that goes beyond financial metrics to consider the quality of services delivered and the impact on citizens' lives. The report emphasized that the success of these enterprises should be measured by their ability to deliver high-quality services that meet citizens' needs, rather than just by their financial performance.

The focus on public value and trust is a key aspect of the Moroccan government's approach to public enterprise management. By prioritizing responsiveness, transparency, and accountability, these enterprises can help to build trust in government and in public institutions. This, in turn, can help to promote social cohesion and stability, and to support the country's economic and social development.

As Morocco continues to develop and grow, the role of independent state-owned enterprises in delivering public services will remain crucial. By focusing on public value and trust, these enterprises can help to ensure that citizens have access to high-quality services that meet their needs, and that they are able to hold government and public institutions accountable for their performance.

Key points

• The Moroccan government is shifting its focus from managing resources to creating public value through its independent state-owned enterprises.
• The enterprises are being held to higher standards of transparency, accountability, and responsiveness to citizens' needs.
• The goal is to build trust in government and public institutions by delivering high-quality public services that meet citizens' expectations.