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Ben Ibrahim: The Regional Agencies Project Enhances Proximity and Accelerates Urban Planning Files Resolution
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Adib Ben Ibrahim, Secretary of State to the Minister of National Land Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy, responsible for housing, affirmed that the draft law No. 64.23 regarding the establishment of regional agencies for urban planning and housing falls within the core of advanced regionalization and the reform of territorial administration. It reflects the royal directives calling for the modernization of the state and achieving spatial justice.
During a legislative session held on Tuesday to discuss and vote on the draft law, Ben Ibrahim explained that the text enhances the powers of the Director General of the regional agency, ensuring effective decision-making and smooth management of files. He pointed out the allocation of a new duty with practical and humanitarian aspects, which involves mediation and amicable settlement of disputes that may arise between citizens or investors and the regional representation of the agency during the evaluation of permit requests.
The government official emphasized that the establishment of mediation and amicable settlement authority does not undermine the principle of legality but instead reflects a choice for responsible management close to citizens, favoring consensual solutions over complexity and conflict, while fully respecting the law and serving the interests of citizens, investment, and the region.
Ben Ibrahim noted that the preparation of the draft law stems from the recommendations of the national dialogue on urbanism and housing, as well as from the recommendations issued by the Court of Auditors regarding the repositioning of urban agencies, explaining that the diagnosis of the urban and housing system revealed several structural constraints.
He recorded that among these challenges are the multiplicity of stakeholders, a lack of regional coherence, disparities in performance across areas, and procedural complexities, which have negatively impacted investment attractiveness and the quality of services provided to citizens.
Ben Ibrahim highlighted that the project establishes a new regional institutional model through the creation of a regional agency for urban planning and housing in each region, as a public institution with legal personality and financial independence, matching its territorial jurisdiction with the regional influence, ensuring proximity through local representations.
He added that the project aims to unify the vision and intervention in the fields of urban planning and housing, enhance the role of agencies in supporting investment, develop rural areas, combat inadequate housing, and contribute to the implementation of public policies at the territorial level.
The same official pointed out that the text consolidates modern governance through effective boards of directors, clear executive powers, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation, alongside special attention to human resources by standardizing legal statuses and ensuring acquired rights.
Ben Ibrahim concluded by affirming that the project is not limited to administrative reorganization but represents a strategic choice aimed at making the region a real space for planning and decision-making, improving service quality, and accelerating investment to foster balanced territorial development, considering that its approval supports the state’s territorial ambition and a strong, united Morocco.
