The Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports and the Ministry of Economy and Finance have jointly decided to implement a support mechanism in favor of textbook publishers following a series of consultations with the Inter-ministerial Price Committee, the ministry said in a statement.
This decision aims to ensure that textbooks are available in an adequate manner for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year and avoid any increase in prices, in line with the government’s efforts to safeguard the purchasing power of Moroccan families, it added.
To foster school attendance and combat dropout, the joint decision provides for direct financial support to textbook publishers for the primary and secondary school cycles in 2022, based on a list of specific textbooks determined by the Ministry.
The financial support, paid by the compensation fund, has been set at 25% of selling prices, according to the statement.
School textbooks are included in the list of goods, products and services whose prices are regulated under the provisions of Law No. 104-12 on Free Pricing and Competition.
Any illegal increase is an offense liable to penalties under the law, as any change in its price is subject to a special procedure and approval of the government, the ministry concluded.
