House of Representatives Adopts Three Government Bills on Education and Training, Export Processing Zones, and Fishing Vessels
The House of Representatives adopted on Monday, January 29, 2024, with a majority of votes, three Government Bills related to education and training, export processing zones, and fishing vessels. The adoption took place during a legislative plenary sitting chaired by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, and attended by the Minister of National Education, Elementary Schooling, and Sports, Mr. Chakib Benmoussa; the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, Ms. Ghita Mezzour; and the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of Relations with the Parliament and Government Spokesperson, Mr. Mustapha Baïtas.
During the sitting, the Representatives adopted by a majority of votes Government Bill 03.24 amending Law 07.00 on the creation of the Regional Education and Training Academies, on which is based the implementation of the new Special Statute of the Personnel of the Ministry. The latter was elaborated following a participatory approach that had engaged the most representative education unions in talks with the tripartite ministerial committee.
The Bill falls within the scope of applying the provisions of Framework Law 51.17 on the education, training, and scientific research system, which calls for renewing the professions of teaching, training, and management and adapting the special statutes of the various professional categories. The Law also calls for the commitment of all stakeholders to achieving the goals of the educational reform based on the principle of correlation between rights and obligations as part of implementing the orientations outlined in the New Development Model of the Kingdom.
Besides, the said Bill grants the status of “civil servant” to all the personnel of the Ministry, including the ones recruited under the provisions of Law 07.00 on the creation of the Regional Education and Training Academies, as amended and supplemented. This provision meets the demands and aspirations of a large category of the Ministry's personnel, previously named personnel of academies.
During the same sitting, the Representatives adopted by a majority of votes Government Bill 56.23 annulling Article 43 of Law 19.94 on export processing zones. The Bill, consisting of a sole article, stipulates the annulment of Article 43 of Law 19.94 on export processing zones to achieve adequacy with the provisions of Framework Law 03.22 operating as Investment Charter and Framework Law 69.19 enacting the fiscal reform.
The said Bill will enable the projects established in export processing zones to benefit from the various support mechanisms offered by the Investment Charter and will hence increase the number of projects created in said zones.
Besides, the Representatives also adopted by a majority of votes Government Bill 57.22 amending and supplementing Law 59.14 on the purchasing, construction, and revamping of fishing vessels, which falls under the scope of the gradual reform of the legal framework regulating the sector of maritime fisheries. The Bill also aims to reinforce the mechanisms to prevent and fight unlawful and unlicensed fishing by combatting and sanctioning all the manners of constructing, substituting, or revamping fishing vessels without a permit from the Government authority in charge of maritime fisheries.
The Bill stipulates tightening sanctions on the individuals who construct fishing vessels without a prior construction permit, particularly as regards the construction of traditional fishing vessels. The Bill also determines the cases of recidivism in the crimes outlined in this Law, the procedure for seizing and confiscating unlawful ships, and the procedure for establishing the list of sites accredited to construct fishing vessels by the competent administration.