The Fez-Meknes Regional Council held its regular session yesterday, Monday, October 2.
The session began with a recitation of the Fatiha in memory of the victims of the earthquake that struck several regions of the Kingdom.
The progress report was presented to the Council President, who addressed several key points, most notably: the preparation of the Regional Development Program for 2022–2027, monitoring the implementation of projects included in the contract between the state and the region, monitoring the implementation of the 2016–2023 program to reduce regional and social disparities in rural areas, preparing the region’s draft budget for the 2024 fiscal year, implementing the regional management plan for continuing education for elected officials, and implementing the outreach program.
This session was marked by the review and approval of the region’s draft budget for the fiscal year, which was prepared in accordance with current regulatory and implementing laws, and based on the letter from the Minister of the Interior regarding the estimated appropriations allocated to the Fez-Meknes region for 2024, drawn from state tax revenues and the general state budget.
The proceedings of this session also included the review and approval of several draft agreements, covering various fields, including a draft partnership agreement to contribute to the organization of sessions of the regional publishing and book fair in the region, with the aim of strengthening the publishing industry by positioning the fair as a platform for publishers and authors to showcase and market their works, and to encourage cultural interaction among readers, authors, and publishers, a draft partnership and cooperation agreement for the construction and equipping of the Regional Center for Emergency Care and Medical Assistance, to provide necessary medical assistance and emergency ambulance services, as well as a draft partnership agreement for the construction and equipping of the Regional Blood Transfusion Center in Fez and its annex in Meknes, which aims to improve the quality of services provided to the population and working conditions at the center.
During this session, the assembly also reviewed and approved a draft framework agreement to establish a new-generation wholesale market for agricultural and food products in the Fez-Meknes region, as well as a draft partnership agreement for the construction, development, and modernization of agricultural product marketing infrastructure in the Fez province, and a draft memorandum of understanding for the restructuring of facilities affiliated with the collective slaughterhouses in Meknes, among other draft agreements.
At the conclusion of this session, the draft action plan for the region’s outreach was reviewed and approved, which will enable the region to join the Moroccan Network of Open Local Communities.
Ibrahim Al-Sabbar
