In a press conference yesterday, Nabila Mounib, the Secretary-General of the Unified Socialist Party (PSU in French) and a prominent member of parliament, raised concerns about the escalating costs of sheep ahead of Eid Al Adha.
Mounib claimed that the government’s subsidy policies primarily benefit select groups at the expense of the wider Moroccan populace. She specifically pointed to wealthy livestock farmers with the capacity to import sheep.
She suggested that the primary beneficiaries of these subsidies are, in essence, the “electoral reservoir” of the state. These affluent farmers, she inferred, will reciprocally marshal support for governmental parties during elections, casting their votes for those whom the state considers best suited for victory.
“If this government really cared about the Moroccan people, it would have told them to cancel this Eid,” said Mounib, indicating that the rising costs of sacrificial animals are becoming untenable for average citizens.
The PSU leader criticized the current government for their handling of subsidies, asserting that the funds are not reaching the citizens who need them the most. Mounib cited fuel and red meat as prime examples of goods that have seen drastic price increases, arguing that the government’s policies are doing little to preserve citizens’ purchasing power and protect their dignity.
