"Leave of Absence" Requests Trigger Interior Ministry Scrutiny

Moroccan Ministry of Interior authorities have been alerted to a notable rise in "leave of absence" requests from employees within local government bodies across several regions. Reports from the Human Resources department of the General Directorate of Territorial Collectivities indicate a growing deficit in personnel for essential services, especially in areas undertaking large-scale development initiatives.

Governors and provincial heads in regions including Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Marrakech-Safi, and Fes-Meknes are coordinating with relevant departments to conduct administrative inquiries. These investigations aim to pinpoint the reasons behind the marked increase in employees opting for "leave of absence" status. They also seek to verify adherence to legal procedures governing this status and evaluate its repercussions on the normal functioning of communal services.

The inquiries are specifically concentrating on local authorities that have experienced vacancies in critical positions. This situation arises after employees in sensitive technical and administrative roles, such as those in tax departments, urban planning, public health, and technical services, have taken leave. Consequently, this has created difficulties in maintaining service continuity for citizens, delayed the processing of administrative files, and impacted the progress of scheduled projects.

Central reports have identified a growing number of applications from employees, some of whom possess foreign residency and nationalities. These individuals have utilized the temporary suspension of work to relocate abroad during their leave. Meanwhile, numerous local authorities find themselves facing shortages that are difficult to replace, given limited recruitment capabilities and the challenge of finding experienced personnel quickly. The investigations are not only examining the numbers but also the practical effects on administrative performance, including instances of repeated absences before and after employees take leave, which disrupts work and leads to backlogs.