Morocco minister: ‘Defence budget insufficient to face security threats’

A Moroccan minister has stated that the budget allocated for defence is insufficient in light of security threats in the region.

This came in a meeting between the Minister Delegate in charge of the National Defence Administration Abdellatif Loudiyi, and parliamentarians, according to a statement issued on Friday by Moroccan Parliament.

Loudiyi urged: “The Moroccan defence budget in 2023 is 5.2 per cent of the GDP. [It is] insufficient, especially during the security threats in the region that require constant vigilance. The social priority of the state in terms of reviving the national economy and the public finance coercions must be considered.”

“We will allocate an amount of 950 million dirhams ($88.5 million) to cover the expenses of the military service in 2023,” Loudiyi added.

According to the country’s draft budget for 2023, the budget of the National Defence Administration is 62.6 billion dirhams (5.83 billion dollars).

Earlier on Friday, the House of Representatives voted by a majority on the country’s draft budget for 2023.

According to the Anadolu Agency reporter who viewed the vote, the draft budget for 2023 was supported by 175 of the attending MPs, while 66 of the total 395 MPs opposed it.

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