Policy Tracker: North Africa

MOROCCO

The Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports launches platform to reform public schools (May 2022)

The Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports in Morocco has launched a new platform called “Madrastna” as an effort to reform publics schools in the country. The newly launched platform seeks to collect people’s opinions on the ways to provide and foster quality education in Morocco. The Madrastna platform is accessible to all citizens, and seeks to collect Moroccans' opinions and suggestions on ways to improve the Moroccan educational system. In a statement given by the Ministry, citizens can take part in a nationwide consultation to improve public schools by filling out a form on this new platform.

Moreover, the Ministry has also called for the wide-spreading access to the form to all relevant stakeholders, associations of parents, schools, NGOs, CSOs, students guardians, inter alia involved in the education ecosystem with the aim of actively contributing to the reform of the nation’s public schools. Reports have also given how this initiative and platform is part of Morocco's efforts to provide quality education, boost students’ innovation, and enhance their skills thus preparing them to enter the job market.

In response to this innovation, the country has also launched an online platform to accompany Moroccan students returning from Ukraine as a result of the present Russo-Ukraine Crisis. This online platform gives students access to documents that are related to their studies in Ukrainian universities. Given how Moroccans in Ukraine were the second-largest community of international students in Ukraine, approximately over 8000 Moroccan students left Ukraine after Russia's invasion in late February.

The returned Moroccan students have been facing various challenges in relation to education. The Ministry of education has taken significant measures to reintegrate them in the country’s public universities. Morocco has also expressed readiness to cooperate with international organizations such as UNESCO and work toward achieving the United Nations SDG  4 which seeks to ensure quality education to all, through ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities. To Moroccans this is a very imperative step to ensure quality education. The effective implementation of the platforms will ensure quality education to all students including those who returned from Ukraine.

LIBYA

Libya’s Ministry of Health launches the first e-management system of medicine stocks in Libya (June 2022)

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based Libyan government and Acting Minister of Health, Ramadan Abu Janah, launched the first electronic management system of the Libyan state’s medicine stocks. According to the Prime Minister at the launch day, this project was implemented by the General Information Authority. The Prime Minister showed  how his government has taken a fundamental step to move forward to support the health sector and towards achieving comprehensive health coverage.

The Minister of Health clarified that the electronic medicine stock management system will contribute effectively to controlling the supply, distribution and storage of medical supplies, as well as providing an integrated mechanism for the implementation of the state’s public tender electronically. The system provides an interconnected electronic system that can be accessed through the national data network. It also allows direct exchange of information and statistics between the Ministry of Health, health facilities and the medical supply system, according to reports that help the decision maker to provide the necessary medical care for citizens.

The system provides a comprehensive mechanism for the pharmacy management at the Ministry of Health, with regard to the distribution and dispensing of medical supplies and equipment in cooperation with the medical supply system. To Libyans this is a very imperative step the government has taken to tackle health issues through incorporating all stakeholders in the health sector and others. The distribution of medications will also ensure that all citizens have access to health care through this innovative project. What is left is for the project to be effectively implemented, benefiting all citizens and vulnerable groups.

ALGERIA

Finance law reforms help to encourage foreign investment in Algeria

 The creation of a new legislative and regulatory framework for investment in Algeria is part of the overall goal of addressing the shortcomings identified since the issuance of the previous investment law in 2016. In December 2019, the issuance of the 2020 Finance Law (FL 2020) removed most of the restrictions curtailing foreign investment, namely the state’s pre-emption right on the transfer of shares by or to foreign shareholders, the prohibition on investors to finance their projects in Algeria with facilities from foreign lenders, and the “49/51 rule” pursuant to which the capital of Algerian companies must be at least 51% owned by Algerian resident persons or entities, thus limiting foreign investors’ stake to 49% (the 49/51 rule). 

The new law, has goals including creating a stable, predictable, fair, and transparent environment to facilitate and encourage investment, and, in particular, attract foreign direct investment (FDI), the Algerian authorities are discussing a new investment law to create a healthy climate and a trustworthy environment that shields the investors from arbitrary administrative decisions and frequent policy shifts.

Moreover, the draft of the new investment law aims to restructure the institutions that are tasked to enforce investment regulations and endow it with the necessary authority and capacity to translate these regulatory reforms into actual measures to improve the business climate in the country. The draft of the new investment law provides for different regimes of incentives including:

•  the general incentive regime;

• an incentive regime for activities that are considered a priority by the Algerian government which list is yet to be defined;

•  incentive regime for investment in areas requiring special support such as the south region of Algeria;

•  incentive scheme for structuring investments which are related to investments that are considered of great interest to the country; and

•  incentive scheme relating to activity zones such as industrial zones and logistics zones.

To this end, it is planned to create within the National Agency for Development, which will bear a new name ‘Algerian Agency for the Promotion of Investment’, a one-stop-shop dedicated to major investments and foreign direct investment as well as a regional one-stop-shop for investment, in charge of all the steps necessary for the realization of investment projects. With this, the Algerian government is moving towards diversifying its economy.