Morocco Confirms Mehdi Bensaid Retains Control of Communication Sector

12:30

Morocco has confirmed that the communication sector remains under the authority of Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, despite its removal from the official name of his ministry following the country's latest government restructuring.

The clarification is set out in Decree No. 2.26.825, published on October 26, 2026. The text preserves Bensaid's responsibilities for communication alongside his newly defined portfolio covering youth, culture and sports in the government led by Head of Government Fatima-Zahra El Mansouri.

The decision establishes that the change in the department's name does not, by itself, amount to a transfer of responsibility for the communication sector to another government authority.

Legal provisions preserve the communication portfolio

Article 2 of the decree explicitly maintains the minister's authority over communication-related responsibilities under Decree No. 2.24.1143, dated April 11, 2025, which governs the sector's powers and administrative organization.

Consequently, the department is officially known as the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports, while communication remains part of Bensaid's legally assigned duties.

Under the previous government structure, communication appeared directly in the ministry's name alongside youth and culture. Its removal from the new title therefore created a distinction between the department's official designation and the full scope of the minister's responsibilities.

The decree also places the development and implementation of an integrated youth policy among Bensaid's duties, requiring coordination with the relevant government authorities and institutions.

Administrative oversight extends across several sectors

The new regulatory framework defines the minister's authority over central and decentralized administrative bodies established under the legislation governing youth, culture and communication.

His remit also covers structures created under the regulations for the sports sector, with the exception of those relating to kindergartens.

The decree further addresses the state's supervisory responsibilities over public institutions. Bensaid is entrusted with oversight of institutions falling under the authority of the government departments responsible for culture and communication.

These provisions establish administrative continuity across the sectors concerned while incorporating sports into the minister's new portfolio.

A decree with retroactive effect

Although signed in Rabat on October 26, 2026, Decree No. 2.26.825 sets October 16, 2026, as the date on which its provisions took effect.

The minister is responsible for implementing the decree and ensuring its publication in the Official Bulletin.

The text provides a clearer legal definition of Bensaid's responsibilities following the formation of the new government. For the communication sector, the central outcome is continuity: its absence from the ministry's official title does not remove it from the minister's remit.