The Local Finance Directorate, beneath the General Directorate of Local Authorities on the Ministry of the Interior, has launched a large-scale operation to get well overdue native tax money owed exceeding MAD 41 billion.
The initiative primarily targets the areas of Casablanca-Settat and Marrakech-Safi, the place tax money owed—some courting again greater than a decade—have accrued. Among these beneath scrutiny are elected officers who themselves owe excellent taxes.
To tackle this situation, native tax workplaces have been mobilized to assessment archives of tax declarations and obligations, replace data, and establish debtors for authorized enforcement. The excellent money owed embody numerous taxes associated to the momentary exploitation of public property, municipal levies, and different native charges.
In response to the rising problem, authorities have bolstered their tax assortment groups by assigning further personnel to research previous tax filings and facilitate the restoration course of.
A assessment of the debt assortment archives has revealed important shortcomings in tax processing. Many procedures associated to the examine and liquidation of unpaid money owed had been by no means accomplished, in direct contradiction with ministry directives.
Additionally, a number of native leaders have didn’t settle excellent money owed, whether or not via full or partial cost, exemption, or cancellation. In many instances, administrative justifications have been offered for non-collection, together with an absence of enough human sources and challenges in enforcement resulting from procedural errors.
Faced with these irregularities, central authorities authorities have urged native councils to adjust to the up to date rules beneath Law No. 47.06 on Local Authorities. They have additionally emphasised the necessity to prioritize debt restoration primarily based on the feasibility of assortment reasonably than absolutely the worth of the debt.
This push for stricter enforcement is geared toward guaranteeing monetary liquidity for native governments, notably because the share of VAT revenues allotted to municipalities has not too long ago elevated from 30% to 32%.
Reports submitted to the Local Finance Directorate have additionally revealed critical violations involving elected officers who’ve evaded important tax funds. Among the findings, a number of cafe and restaurant house owners, who’re additionally members of native councils, have didn’t pay the required charges for occupying public areas.
Unpaid taxes on undeveloped city land have additionally surfaced, with some plots belonging to officers or being situated in areas managed by their political allies. Additionally, sure officers have uncared for to pay hire for municipal properties, which they or their members of the family have leased of their identify.
These violations have been notably prevalent within the Casablanca-Settat and Marrakech-Safi areas, the place some officers have allegedly used their political and electoral connections to keep away from taxation. As authorities intensify enforcement efforts, the success of this marketing campaign may mark a turning level in strengthening monetary accountability inside Morocco’s native governance system.
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