House of Representatives Adopts Six Legislative Texts Including Three Parliamentary Bills
The House of Representatives unanimously adopted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020, three Government bills that concern the state of public health emergency and the measures for its declaration, the communes' taxation system, and ship-sourced pollution. The House also adopted three parliamentary bills on export processing zones, the Labor Code, and the lifting of the pensions for the House of Representatives members. The adoptions took place in two legislative plenary sittings chaired by the Speaker of House of Representatives Habib El Malki, with the participation of Minister of Employment and Professional Integration Mohamed Amekraz, and Minister Delegate to Minister of Interior Noureddine Boutayeb.
The adoption by the House of Representatives of Government Bill 63.20 ratifying Decree-law 2.20.503 of August 7th, 2020 (Dhul Hijjah 17th, 1441) supplementing Decree-law 2.20.292 of March 23rd, 2020 (Rajab 28th, 1441) enacting special provisions to the state of public health emergency and the measures for its declaration, comes following the issuance of the aforementioned decree-law by the Government during the inter-session on August 7th, 2020, which according to Article 81 of the Constitution must be presented before the Parliament in its next regular session.
In his presentation of Government Bill 07.20 amending and supplementing Law 47.06 on communes’ taxation system, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Interior Noureddine Boutayeb noted that the Bill aims to adapt the local taxation system to the transformations that marked the decentralization process in Morocco following the entry into force of the organic laws on communes in 2015. The Minister Delegate noted that the Bill comes as a culmination of a process that witnessed a series of consultations with communes’ representatives and the different actors in local taxation, especially economic actors. The Bill focuses on improving the collection of some local fees, revising some tax base rules, and reforming fiscal stimulus.
During the Bill's general discussion, the representatives of the groups and caucus of the majority and the opposition at the House of Representatives lauded this legislative text. They considered it an essential step to empower the local communes towards more efficient fiscal funding to achieve financial independence and perform their role as the cornerstone for local development. Meanwhile, they called for implementing a comprehensive reform of the local taxation system to establish one that achieves fiscal justice and promotes investment. The deputies also tackled several important remarks regarding the expansion of the local tax base, advancement of efficiency and governance, simplification of the procedures related to local taxes, the consolidation of the new concept of authority, human resources qualification, and other suggestions.
After that, the Minister of Employment and Professional Integration presented Government Bill 69.18 on ship-source pollution. In this respect, he highlighted that the Bill comes to fill the legal void in the legislation relative to maritime pollution, considering the important status of Morocco in the international maritime community and its engagements to the international organizations and implementing the provisions of international maritime agreements. The Bill aims to install punitive provisions regarding ship-source pollution and integrate the ratified international legislation on fighting pollution in the local laws. The Bill also aims to preserve the fishery resources and protect the seas and marine ecosystems of Morocco.
During the legislative sitting devoted to the examination and vote on parliamentary bills, the majority groups presented a parliamentary bill amending Law 19.94 on export processing zones, which aims for adaptation as it proposes changing the appellation "industrial acceleration zones" to "export processing zones" in the title and articles of Law 19.94.
The Group of Justice and Development and the Socialist Group presented two parliamentary bills amending Law 65.99 operating as Labor Code. The two bills were merged into one, which stipulates adding a provision regarding military service to adapt it to Law 44.18 on the military service, previously ratified and issued in the official gazette. The Bill also aims to provide several guarantees at the private sector level, which are related to suspending the job contract during the period of military service.
Additionally, the House of Representatives approved a parliamentary bill on abolishing and lifting pensions for the House of Representatives members, proposed by the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups and caucus. The Bill stipulates the termination of deductions of fees for the subscription in the pension system of the members of the House of Representatives from the indemnities paid for each member, the cessation of payment of the contribution of the House of Representatives to the same system, and the termination of the disbursement of the outstanding pensions under the same system.