HIBAPRESS – A. Mahyawi
Central services affiliated with the Ministries of Interior and Economy and Finance, along with the Office for the Development of Cooperation, have opened extensive auditing operations for a number of forestry cooperatives in Ifrane province. This is within the framework of supervisory tasks aimed at evaluating the extent to which governance regulations are respected and the exploitation of forest resources in accordance with legally and developmentally defined objectives.
According to consistent information, the inspection committees have conducted field visits and collected detailed data on the management of forest areas granted to cooperatives, in addition to examining how financial resources are spent and methods of administrative management. Available data indicates that the supervisory committees are in their final stages of preparing their reports, awaiting the results and recommendations. Sources have not ruled out that these reports may open the door to in-depth investigations under the supervision of the competent authorities, if practices warranting such are proven to exist, ensuring the determination of responsibilities in accordance with the legal procedures in force. These regulatory moves coincide with a general trend of the state towards strengthening transparency mechanisms and establishing the principles of good governance, especially in sectors related to the sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of forest property, which represents an environmental and developmental lever. Many local actors and residents of the region have expressed their concern about the decline of the forest cover, especially those covered with cedar trees, which are considered a national environmental symbol. The Ifrane National Park is considered one of the most important environmental areas hosting this type, which makes its preservation a top priority, requiring, according to observers, more rigor in monitoring the methods of its exploitation. These developments bring the discussion back to the forefront of attention regarding the balance between investing in forest resources on the one hand, and ensuring their sustainability and maintaining their environmental and social functions on the other, within the framework of policies that meet the requirements of development and protect the national environmental asset.
