Morocco's anti-poverty INDH absorbed $1.1bln since 2005, official

Over four million citizens have benefited from 16,000 projects, worth 9.5 billion dirhams (1.13 billion dollars), launched since 2005 part of the large-scale anti-poverty programme, Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Development, family and solidarity, Ahmed Lamrini said here on Monday.

   The National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) has brought about considerable achievements in improving the life conditions of the Moroccans' between 2005 and 2008, Lamrini said, noting that the poverty rate fell during this period from 14 to 9%.

   The official recalled that the INDH is based notably on participation, inclusion, the irreversible inculcation of the culture of transparency and responsibility, in addition to reinforcing the sense of citizenship.

   Touching on the mechanism of good governance set up by the INDH, Lamrini said about 11,000 men and women were mobilized within the framework of commissions in the different regions of the Kingdom.

   INDH aims to coordinate efforts by the various partners and give a new momentum to women and young people in order to promote the human capital.

   In the same vein, Director of Budgets at the economy and Finance Ministry, Abdellatif Bennani explained, in a meeting in Marrakech, that for the year 2009/2010, the INDH aims to further improve life conditions, qualify the human element, consolidate convergence and building on assets.

MAP