Tahraoui Challenges “Potassium Deal” Accusations and Calls for Evidence
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amin Tahraoui, responded to the accusations surrounding the supply of potassium in the market, demanding that “anyone with a single piece of evidence proving that the administration has violated the law” present it.
During a meeting of the Social Sectors Committee in the House of Representatives, dedicated to clarifying allegations related to conflicts of interest in drug procurement, held on Wednesday, the minister emphasized that tenders are managed with complete transparency and adherence to the law, asserting, “Personally, I don’t accept any irregularities or violations in the tender process; this is not related to a single individual within the administration, but to a complete system that includes various actors, each of whom bears full responsibility before the law.”
Tahraoui continued firmly, saying, “Anyone who accuses me, as a minister, of having awarded a tender to any party, without knowing how a minister can possibly do that, should provide the proof. If someone has documents, correspondence, or a witness to support their claims, they should present them. Accusations must be based on evidence; we cannot casually throw around statements.”
He stated that Morocco is equipped with solid constitutional institutions for oversight: “The Court of Auditors, the Competition Council, the National Authority for Integrity and the Fight Against Corruption… These institutions exist and operate. When we tell the public that there is a ‘scandal’ or a ‘conflict of interest’ or that tenders are awarded illegally, we are not only harming the ministry, but also the credibility of these oversight institutions.”
Returning to the subject, Tahraoui stressed that “when some hear that we will grant a ‘temporary authorization,’ they mistakenly believe we are awarding a ‘contract directly.’ This is incorrect. A temporary authorization is not a contract and not a privilege. It is merely a license allowing a company to participate in the tender process in a specific case where scarce or potential shortages are noted.”
He elaborated, “By law, the holder of a marketing authorization always has precedence over the holder of a temporary authorization. Therefore, if the holder of the marketing authorization participates in the tender, the temporary authorization is automatically canceled and their file is not opened.”
Based on this, Tahraoui clarified that “it cannot be said that the temporary authorization is a privilege awarded to a company.” He added, “Sometimes, there is a shortage, and companies themselves monitor this in the international market before the ministry does, which is why we need a national drug observatory to proactively monitor these shortages—I have requested to expedite its establishment.”
Regarding the potassium solution, which was the subject of recent controversy, Tahraoui stated, “We had one local company supplying it. This company underwent technical reforms that legally require a review of the license. The directorate and then the agency supported it, but the company did not meet the criteria for obtaining the updated license.” He continued, “I received, as the minister, an official correspondence warning of the danger of a shortage of a sensitive substance. I communicated with the agency’s director—an independent agency—and informed him of the need to expedite the support process. We asked the company to complete additional reforms to ensure product quality. Concurrently, another local company emerged that began producing the solution, and we supported it to avoid a shortage.”
He highlighted that the first company is now dealing with two parties: the ministry and the agency. Should it face a problem with the agency or delays in response, it has the right to contact the ministry, and “it is our duty to address their complaint via the inspectorate if it contains any ambiguity or information requiring investigation. The only connection I have with the authorization file is ensuring the availability of medicine in the market. I request periodic reports from the agency’s director regarding the status of licenses, cases of shortages, and have opened numerous workshops to enhance oversight and improve governance in the sector.”
He concluded that the information discussed in the public debate is accessible to everyone, stating, “This company has been operating in the sector for over ten years and is one of more than fifty companies. It does not dominate the market.” He added, “We all know there have been delays in launching some tenders, and I have publicly acknowledged this. I reiterate that the tenders for 2024 and 2025 for hospitals have all gone through transparent bidding processes and have been awarded to a company that produces locally. We are awaiting a second company to join production to create competitiveness and pharmaceutical sovereignty.”
