House of Representatives Adopts Parliamentary Bill Amending Rules of Procedure of the House and Two Government Bills on Industrial Zones and Financial Control of the State over Public Entities

The House of Representatives adopted on Monday, January 30, 2023, a parliamentary bill amending the Rules of Procedure of the House, and two Government bills on industrial zones and the financial control of the State over public entities.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, presided over the sitting devoted to voting on the parliamentary bill amending the Rules of Procedure of the House. During the sitting, the Representatives adopted by a majority of votes the bill that introduces 303 amendments proposed by the various Parliamentary Groups and Caucus and the non-attached Representatives.

In his intervention on occasion, the Speaker of the House of Representatives commended the positive atmosphere that marked the examination and discussion of the amendments proposed to the draft Rules of Procedure of the House. In the same respect, he noted that this project, aiming to upgrade the Rules of Procedure of the House and adapt some of its provisions to the developments of the overall parliamentary scene, has been the center of growing focus since the onset of the current legislative term.

Besides, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami added that this bill is the fruit of a collective effort that took several meetings. In the same vein, he highlighted the significant attention granted by the Constitution to the Rules of Procedure, reflected in the provisions of eight articles, which demonstrates the importance of the Rules of Procedure that was only mentioned in the previous constitutions with regard to the imperative of its referral to the Constitutional Court following its approval.

Moreover, the Speaker noted that the amendments in this bill emanate from the collective awareness and desire to enact new regulations that would be the new driving force of a joint action characterized by efficiency, earnestness, and creativity to "fortify our practice as representatives of the nation with the necessary safeguards to advance it in the best manner."

Hon. Talbi El Alami also underscored that the Rules of Procedure enclose more than a decade of parliamentary action and work on filling its gaps with the necessary courage, and in alignment with the political ambition and constitutional constraints. The Speaker concluded his intervention by thanking the members of the Committee in Charge of Amending the Rules of Procedure, the Subcommittee under it, and all the House members.

In a preceding sitting chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Mohamed Sabbari, and attended by the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in Charge of the Budget, Mr. Fouzi Lekjaa; the Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Ryad Mezzour; and the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of Relations with the Parliament and Government Spokesperson, Mr. Mustapha Baïtas, the House of Representatives adopted two Government Bills.

During the said sitting, the Representatives adopted by a majority of votes Government Bill 54.22 amending and supplementing Law 69.00 on the State’s financial oversight over public entities. The Bill aims to encourage investment, as His Majesty the King called for in several speeches, given that public investment remains an essential tool to advance the national economy, preserve the necessary transparency, and reach the desired goals.

The adopted Bill includes several provisions that stipulate widening the scope of application of the Decree on Government Procurements to cover all public entities of administrative nature that benefit from public financing, the adoption of a standard reference system for government procurements regarding all public buyers instead of multiple particular systems, in order to clarify the vision for economic actors. The Bill also stipulates the consideration of the peculiarities of the public entities subject to the Decree on Government Procurements, intending to respond to the growing expectations of national and foreign economic actors.

During the same sitting, the Representatives adopted by the majority of votes Government Bill 102.21 on Industrial Zones in the second reading. The Bill aims to determine the rules applied to developing, managing, preserving, and maintaining industrial zones to achieve effective national industrial development, taking territorial justice into account.

The Bill also aims to encourage investment in industry, including related services, by providing the lands designated for this purpose and reinforcing the legal arsenal related to developing and managing industrial zones to ameliorate their quality and combat property speculation.

Besides, the Bill would contribute to ameliorating the investment climate, which has known great improvement, entrenching good governance with regard to industrial zones, fighting rentier economy, and addressing several issues that have always hindered national and foreign investment.