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Morocco's $19.4 Million Initiative to Digitize Civil Registry Records

Wednesday 23 April 2025 - 16:15
Morocco's $19.4 Million Initiative to Digitize Civil Registry Records
By: Dakir Madiha
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Morocco is embarking on a transformative journey to modernize its civil registry system through a significant national project launched by the Ministry of Interior. With a budget of MAD 194 million (approximately $19.4 million), this initiative aims to digitize civil registry records across all prefectures and provinces, enhancing citizens' access to crucial administrative documents.

The project was unveiled via an international tender by the General Directorate of Territorial Communities (DGCT) and is set to digitize more than 38 million records dating back to 1915, when Morocco first established its civil registry system. Currently, these records are housed in 1,821 civil registry offices dispersed across the country’s ten regions.

“This project aims to establish a centralized and secure database, connecting all civil registry offices to a unified and efficient information system. This will enable real-time data exchange with other public institutions, helping to accelerate procedures, improve service quality, and strengthen the digital transformation of Moroccan administration,” stated the Ministry.

The digitization process will occur in two distinct phases. The first phase focuses on 27 million paper records that have never been digitized. This phase involves meticulous manual data entry, numbering, and thorough verification. The second phase will enhance over 11 million existing digital records through auditing, indexing, and advanced security measures.

Priority will be given to birth records from after 1950 and death records from after 2003, reflecting their daily administrative significance and demand from citizens.

The project is divided into five geographic lots, with submissions due by May 29. The first lot targets the Fès-Meknès region, budgeted at MAD 36.7 million ($3.67 million), while the second focuses on Marrakech-Safi with a budget of MAD 38.6 million ($3.86 million). Additional lots cover southern regions, Béni Mellal-Khénifra, and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, with budgets ranging from MAD 34 million ($3.4 million) to MAD 45.5 million ($4.55 million).

This initiative builds upon previous efforts to modernize civil registry services. In 2023, the government adopted decree n°2.22.04, implementing law n°36.21, which introduced electronic pre-declarations for births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Digitizing the civil registry is part of Morocco’s broader digital transformation strategy, which also includes recent initiatives such as digitizing children’s health records and expanding the electronic business creation platform nationwide to encourage entrepreneurship.

The response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. A survey conducted by L’Économiste and the Sunergia Group in September 2024 revealed that 67% of Moroccans believe that digitization has simplified administrative procedures, a notable increase from 58% in 2023. The survey also indicated that 69% of Moroccans now handle their administrative tasks independently, with younger citizens aged 18-24 particularly enthusiastic about digital services.

This civil registry project marks a significant advancement in fulfilling royal directives on administrative digitization, serving as a vital component of the government's program to enhance Morocco's digital infrastructure and bolster citizen trust in public services.

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