Administrative Corruption and the Moralization of Public Life: A Case Study of Morocco

Abstract

Corruption has always been an integral part in the daily life of people. In Morocco, corruption has become in certain services especially administrations inseparable from their functioning. Nobody in Morocco denies its omnipresence in society. In order to well understand the issue of corruption in general and administrative corruption in particular and grasp the difficulties encountered in setting the basis of a policy aimed to curb this phenomenon, it is important to understand the historical context of the Moroccan social, administrative and political system.

The aim of this study is to theoretically examine the causes of administrative corruption in Morocco. It provides an empirical analysis of the potential variables of corruption in Moroccan administrations and studies their adverse consequences on public life. Not abiding by the rules, lack of respect of the State of law and of the primacy of law and the laxity concerning legal proceedings are all elements that encourage the expansion of corruption inside administrations and diminish the credibility and effects of any attempts to curb it. In this respect, what is needed are control mechanisms to be put in place away from any political propaganda. Also, clearly defined actions should be applied in everyday life.

The fight against corruption requires on one hand implementing strong equality based legislation, meritocracy principle, transparency, pay reforms, administrative reforms and an independent justice that is above the power of authorities and money. On the other hand, it needs citizens’ awareness about the difficulty of the task and the mobilization of all the elements of society in order to achieve good governance in the public sector. The absence of these criteria will lead to a decline in ethics and moral standards, to an increase in corruption and maladministration and to reluctance in the adhesion of all the players involved.