Budget Deficit under Control in 2022, Govt. Spokesperson

The budget deficit was brought under control over the past year, as it was limited to 5.1% of GDP, an improvement of 0.4% compared to 2021, said Government Spokesperson Mustapha Baitas on Thursday.
During the press briefing that follows the weekly cabinet’s meeting, Baitas said that the government was able to address this challenge despite additional expenditure, mainly by the Subsidy Fund which exceeded 40 Bln MAD.
Many public institutions benefited from allocations, such as Morocco’s Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) which was allotted 12 Bln MAD and businesses to which 19 billion dirhams was allocated for VAT arrears.
The official stated that routine expenditure reached 36 billion dirhams, a 110% increase versus 2021, as a result of the government’s efforts to support the subsidy fund.
He concluded by saying that the government managed to generate a positive ordinary balance of 15.7 billion dirhams in 2022, compared to 4 billion dirhams in 2021, as margins are going directly to public investment.