Moroccans to modernise civil registry

20/11/2008

By 2011, Moroccan officials hope that millions of citizens will have registered in a new modernised civil registry system. "It will mean a higher quality of personal attention," they said.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat—20/11/08

[Sarah Touahri] New computerised technology will make it easier for Moroccans to register and retrieve their official government documents.

Morocco is integrating more technology in the day-to-day life of its citizens, starting with computerised civil records across the country. It is a long and complicated process, but it’s on track.

By 2011, the government hopes to have computerised more than 2172 civil registry offices in the country and processed tens of millions of documents. A pilot scheme conducted in Casablanca showed that it will be possible to process 70 documents per day per office.

The goal is to make it easier for citizens to register and retrieve government records. There will be an IT database that should improve services provided for the public. The computerised system will include birth certificates, residency certificates and others.

"Sometimes, you have to travel to your place of birth to get a birth certificate," said Samira Benahmad, a teacher. "You have to wait in long queues just to get a birth certificate. This is a problem in terms of time and money. With modernisation of the civil registry, they’ll be able to reduce the pressure on registry offices."

According to interior ministry records, more than one million Moroccans are not registered in stat’s civil records. There are marriage certificates that have not been prepared or recorded. The country's many abandoned children are also missing from the civil records.

With modernised registry system, the hope is to include all the citizens in one networked and reliable database.

"We have to raise public awareness," said Younès Sekkouri, the director of the modernisation project, "and explain that if people do not appear on the civil records, they cannot access education or receive their national identity card, be employed or vote."

To achieve its goals and organise the process, the government will create a national labelling centre, Sekkouri said. The centre will create and facilitate the process of loading the database on the computerised system.

Because it’s a new system, the government will provide training for registry offices staff and improve working conditions, said wali local authorities director Noureddine Boutayeb.

"It will mean a higher quality of personal attention," said Hamid Mbarki, who works at a registry office, "a more personalised approach and a reduction in the time taken to obtain services."