HIBAPRESS – Rabat
The Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) places culture at the heart of its electoral program, through a package of proposals aimed at expanding access to culture, strengthening its presence within the educational system, and transforming cultural and creative industries into a driver for economic development and job creation.
Under the slogan "Culture for All," the party proposes making artistic education compulsory in all educational institutions, as well as multiplying the average reading time for each citizen fivefold, and adopting compulsory reading of one book every three months within educational institutions.
The program also includes enabling two million low-income families to receive a tax-exempt "cultural voucher" worth 1,000 dirhams annually, allowing them to benefit from various cultural products and services. The party also proposes organizing a "Traditional Dress Day" once a month, with the aim of highlighting the skills of Moroccan artisans and valuing Moroccan art.
On the economic front, the Party of Progress and Socialism aims to increase attendance at cultural sites by 50 percent, and establish 300 local cultural facilities and 100 multi-functional cultural spaces, in addition to rehabilitating all closed cultural institutions.
The program targets increasing the contribution of cultural and creative industries to 4 percent of the gross domestic product, creating 150,000 jobs in this sector, while supporting 1,000 cultural startups through incubation and financing mechanisms, and supporting the export of Moroccan cultural products.
The party proposes increasing financial resources allocated to culture to the equivalent of 1 percent of total public spending, and adopting a law establishing the basic statute for artists and authors, enabling them with a system.
