World bank grants Morocco $200m loan

The World Bank approved a loan worth 200 million US dollars for Morocco to support large-scale reforms related to transparency and inclusive governance, the Moroccan news agency reported on Thursday. The loan, which will support development policies for transparency and responsibility in public finance, is the first of a series of operations that would ensure the effective management of public resources and promote open governance. The agency quoted the head of the Maghreb department at the World Bank Simon Gray as saying that the program will spur governance reforms in Morocco. He added that it would also reinforce citizens' access to information as well as their participation in decision-making. According to the World Bank, this operation will foster measures for budget transparency and public consultation as new laws on the right to information and the right to petition are being elaborated.