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Leila Benali: Transforming ONHYM into a Joint-Stock Company Strengthens Energy Sovereignty and Breaks Dependency
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, confirmed yesterday during a session at the House of Representatives that the draft law No. 56.24, which aims to transform the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) into a joint-stock company, is part of a strategy designed to strengthen the energy sovereignty of the Kingdom, enhance governance in the energy and mining sectors, and address the structural vulnerabilities exposed by recent geopolitical and energy transitions.
The minister explained, in response to parliamentary interventions, that this project marks the beginning of a profound reform regarding the state’s approach to strategic sectors. She noted that the government chose this transformation after a comprehensive assessment of ONHYM’s experience and the challenges it faced, particularly regarding the energy dependency that Morocco has endured for decades.
Benali observed that for nearly six years, the Kingdom has faced energy dependency on neighboring countries in the natural gas sector and certain infrastructure components. This situation culminated in a crisis during the gas supply halt in 2021, which forced the state to intervene to manage the situation amidst a complex international context, coinciding with the war in Ukraine and fluctuations in global energy markets.
The minister asserted that maintaining energy sovereignty is not merely a theoretical choice but a social and economic necessity. She emphasized that the gas supply interruption threatened thousands of jobs and the continuity of sensitive industrial units, including vital institutions, necessitating an accelerated reinvestment in gas infrastructure from a sovereign perspective.
She clarified that transforming ONHYM into a joint-stock company does not imply relinquishing the state’s sovereign role but aims to equip it with more efficient and flexible management mechanisms, allowing it to compete with international players in the mining sector, which has become an area of strategic competition globally and regionally, as demonstrated by successful international and African experiences.
Benali concluded that the legislative project serves as a fundamental building block for establishing genuine energy sovereignty capable of shielding the national economy from external shocks and bolstering Morocco’s position regionally and internationally in the fields of energy and mining, under a strong state with clear institutions, responsible for its energy future.
