Moroccan government extends powers of Integrity Commission to fight corruption

By extending the powers of the National Commission for Integrity, Prevention and Fight against Corruption, the Moroccan government is striving to combat corruption in the country.

According to government estimates, corruption causes losses amounting to between five and seven per cent of GDP and relies on the commission to prevent losses or at least to minimise them.

The draft law on the commission, which was approved by the Moroccan government last June, is still under debate in parliament.

The bill, aimed at fighting corruption, according to local and international reports, is subject to a number of amendments before it is approved by parliament and will come into force after its publication in the Official Gazette.

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Enhancement of powers 

Government spokesman Saeed Amazazi stated at a press conference after the approval of the bill that its objectives “are to reformulate the requirements related to the definition of the corruption concept, and to differentiate between two types of corrupt actions that are specific to the authority’s operating area.”

Amazazi added that the project “gives authority to the commission to conduct research and investigations, and to prepare reports to be transmitted to the competent authorities and bodies, to carry out disciplinary or criminal proceedings depending on the case.”

The spokesman underlined that one of the aims of the project is “to widen the scope of the commission’s tasks and areas of intervention, by reviewing the commission’s tasks in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.”