Journal du Cameroun
by APA News
The Moroccan Association of Presidents of Communal Councils (AMPCC) and the Council of Territorial Communities of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) have signed an MoU aimed at supporting the implementation of its Regional Program to Support Financial Decentralization.
Signed on Thursday on the sidelines of the eighth Africities Summit by the President of AMPCC, Mohamed Boudra, and the Ivorian minister of the City, François Albert Amichia, Mayor of Treichville and the President of the Council of Local Authorities of UEMOA, the MoU reaffirms the commitment of both parties to develop close links on the issue of financial decentralization, and more specifically through supporting the implementation of the Regional Program to Support Financial Decentralization.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director General of Local Authorities of Morocco, Mr. Khalid Safir said that the MoU is of pivotal importance in strengthening relations between Morocco and the countries belonging to UEMOA bloc.
Mr. Safir also noted that according to Moroccan institutional practice, decentralized territorial communities are increasingly recognized as free to act by the state with a view to ensuring sustainable local and national development.
After pointing out that cities are facing several key challenges, the most important of which are demographic, urban, ecological and economic, he said that the history of local taxation in Morocco dates back to 100 years.
He added that since 1962, several reforms of the local taxation, of which the most important were done during the years 1989 and 2007, were fulfilled the aim being the rationalization of these resources and optimizing their governance.
According to Mr Safir, this is an ongoing process in which Morocco is engaged, noting that the 2019-2022 action plan of the Directorate General of Local Government (DGCL) is one of its flagship actions in terms of local taxation.
These reforms were always implemented in a spirit of progressivity in order to increase responsibly the capacities of local and regional authorities in terms of fiscal resources, he added.
He also stressed that Morocco is proud of its pan-African commitment and has multiplied initiatives for several years to establish solidarity partnerships and to work for the development of the African continent and meeting the needs of its citizens.
Mr. Boudra stressed that the current Africities summit represents a new turning point in the bonds binding Morocco to Africa, as evidenced by the MoU signed between eight countries.
According to him, the financial autonomy of local authorities is a necessity that the AMPCC wishes to further develop, with a view to encouraging territorial entities to work more in the field of local development.
HA/pn/as/APA
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