Harmonizing taxation and strengthening governance for an inclusive green economy

Seloua AMAZIANE, Head of the Partnership Division at Sustainable Development Department, recalled that: “The integration of environmental and social considerations into economic planning and policymaking has become a major concern, following the revision of the National Sustainable Development Strategy. At a time when Morocco is adopting a more determined stance to make its economy greener and its development more sustainable, the question of building the capacities of its key players arises, to ensure the effective participation of decision-makers and managers with the knowledge and qualifications required to make a success of the green and inclusive reform to which our country has committed itself”.

The initial training session examined the connection between the new SNDD and Morocco’s green and inclusive economy. The National Coordinator of PAGE, Ali BENRYANE, recalled the results of the green and inclusive economy’s diagnosis in Morocco and suggested approaches for PAGE’s involvement in priority sectors.

Discussions highlighted the need to assess financial instrument penetration in the capital market as a potential source of funding for green and inclusive transitions. The Ministry of Economy and Finance is currently in talks to identify the primary financial mechanisms to support this transition.

The discussions should help Morocco create a unique vision for integrating digitalization with national specificities and population needs. Digitalization is a pillar of the green and inclusive transition, but it should be paired with retraining programs to prevent job losses.

Seynabou Diouf, Green Jobs Specialist at the ILO Regional Office for Africa, spoke about the imperatives of a just transition towards ecologically sustainable economies and societies. Ms Diouf recalled that “Around 1.2 billion jobs depend on the health of ecosystems”. She also stressed that “this is a triple global crisis that requires the implementation of urgent policies at global level, because the equivalent of 80 million jobs is expected to be lost due to heat stress by 2030”.

Slimane MALIKI, Head of the Planning and Interministerial Coordination Department at the Ministry of Transition, Energy and Sustainable Development, presented the main thrusts of the draft revised SNDD.

The revised SNDD could be beneficial for initiating a green transition. It focuses on six domains of transformation towards sustainability, with the third concerning a competitive, low-carbon economy that generates wealth and employment.

“Action in this area of transformation towards sustainability will enable Morocco to accelerate and invest to ensure the transition to a low-carbon green economy that creates jobs and demonstrates the “Made in Morocco” concept, to consolidate and strengthen the Kingdom’s regional and international leadership”, explained Mr Maliki.

The revised version of the SNDD considers territorialization methods, but finalization of the governance scheme and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms is still ongoing. The revised version of SNDD was created through a participatory process that involved all sections of the Moroccan population, with a focus on young people