By Youssef El Kaidi
Morocco World News
Fez, May 11, 2013
Nothing is so repulsive for me like doing paper work in Morocco. Sorry, I’m not exaggerating but it does really give me pains and turns me mad oftentimes. Any official or functionary in whatever public administration is supposed to serve the citizens according to the regulatory laws; first, because that’s his/her job which should be done appropriately and devotedly; and second, because it’s a moral duty.
However, some officials break the institutional and moral law and adopt very authoritarian practices against their fellow citizens to the extent that Moroccan administration has become the hotbed of such imbalances and impurities. The latter do not serve the democratic process of our country, nor seek the values of good governance and rational management in light of the expanded regionalism recently advocated by King Mohammed VI.
Many people, like me, complain about Moroccan administration for its sophisticated legal procedures that sometimes keep you turning in a vicious circle and finally crash your interests. Some people lost their jobs because of the intricate procedures; others missed important dates and opportunities because of procrastination and stalling; many foreign investors have reportedly withdrawn their money from Morocco and sought investment elsewhere for the same reasons. What adds insult to injury in this matter is the behavior of some corrupt officials who take pleasure in humiliating people and retarding their interests.
I have been eyewitness in many cases where human dignity was subjected and law was broken. I have also been the subject of this treatment in different times and places; in fact, they are so many to cite here all. It’s so rare in a public administration to find a smiling official who greets his/her compatriots and serves them politely. Verbal violence and rude language have become very common in our administrations to the extent that the feeling of anxiety and unease haunts you just at the thought of going to do some paper work. Another common practice is bribery that is still rampant, despite the restraining laws in this respect.
If there are social and economic reasons that may push some people to conduct bribery ways to expedite their interests and obtain the services provided by public utilities – they are supposed to be open in face of all citizen on equal footing- the study of this phenomenon proves that there are other reasons including:
First, the administrative bureaucracy that retards the interests of the citizens, especially with regard to the complexities of rules and administrative procedures. Second, the absence of commitment to the rule of law by some public utilities workers. Third, the ineffectiveness of the regulatory agencies which do not control the violations of the law. Fourth, the almost total absence of the culture of evaluation of some administrative bodies in order to improve their performance, overcome their shortcomings, correct their imperfections and rationalize their expenditures.
Until the eradication of these reasons and many others, bureaucracy and the accompanying practices of some public utilities workers are not just braking the wheel of development but also killing people slowly. It’s an unfathomable contradiction to speak of the ‘exception’ of Morocco in terms of democracy and human rights, while these practices are still deeply rooted in our administrations and public utilities.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
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