Ahmed Lahlimi, head of Morocco’s high commission for planning, was one of the country’s senior economists who kept urging more public spending on education, health and other social sectors even before the coronavirus outbreak. He blamed the IMF for pushing states into more privatization of public services which now with the coronavirus proved wrong. The IMF has long focused on measures such as dirham float reform that it says will protect Morocco from external shocks, he said. “I insist that external shocks are not the priority for us. External shocks are not even identified.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 21, 2020 14:37 UTC