Moroccan Parliament debates arts budget increase

2009-11-27

Access to the arts should be a "basic right" for all Moroccans, not a luxury, according to Morocco's minister of culture, Bensalem Himmich.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 27/11/09

[File] Morocco's Parliament discusses government funding for the arts, which critics — including the minister of culture — are calling inadequate.

Morocco's minister for cultural affairs and some members of Parliament are criticising the government for providing what they call "meagre" funding for the arts in the country's 2010 budget.

"Every Moroccan has a right" to enjoy cultural events, Culture Minister Bensalem Himmich told Parliament on November 12th, during discussion of the new budget. He said that culture should be regarded as a "basic right" for all Moroccans, not just a luxury accessible to those who can afford it.

But with only 537.9 million dirhams to support operations and investments, the Ministry of Culture faces challenge in bringing the arts to all areas of the country, especially to rural areas with few facilities.

Although the 2010 budget increases funding for the ministry by over 10%, it is still less than 1% of total government expenses.

Himmich, who is also a novelist, vowed to channel more money into the arts. "Efforts will be made to seek funding through integrated programmes within government sectors or by securing financing from Moroccan and foreign companies,” he told parliamentarians.

Morocco is suffering from a massive shortage of funds for cultural programming, according to MP Mohammed Ansari.

"At the moment, culture remains the preserve of those who can afford to attend centres built in Morocco by foreign organisations and use information and telecommunications technology," he told Magharebia.

Ansari said it was imperative for culture to be more accessible for young people in particular, to help them become well-rounded individuals. He called for a bigger budget for the ministry, and said a clear strategy targeting all social classes should be launched.

MP Lahcen Daoudi of the Party of Justice and Development said culture should be a critical area of investment. "Development without culture is impossible, because the latter plays an important role in enabling citizens to thrive."

Daoudi said funding could be expanded in the future if the cultural affairs minister gained enough clout to swing budget allocations towards his projects.

Prominent members of the arts community have also called on the Moroccan government to devote more funds to the ministry, which they described as having been marginalised for a long time.

"Increasing the budget for culture is imperative," said novelist Rachida Benmassaoud. "A new strategy [for supporting the arts] must be devised."

Benmassaoud said that businesses must be educated on the importance of supporting cultural activity as a driving force for human development, and that the Moroccan cultural realm should no longer be limited to exhibitions and festivals.

The novelist and short-story writer also called for the creation of a High Council for Culture to promote the sector and spotlight culture's critical role in improving people's skills and developing civilisation.