CAPE TOWN - Moroccan members of parliament have called on prime minister Saad Eddine El Othmani to exempt vulnerable families from paying water, electricity - and internet bills - as the country deals with the negative impact of the coronavirus.
The call, made via a memorandum, comes after government's decision to shut down all non-essential commercial services in the north African country, Morocco World News reported.
The MPs asked that essential services not be cut even if the bills were not paid, and urged El Othmani to alleviate the impact of Covid-19 on needy families.
The memorandum includes granting students free internet in order to pursue distance education, and giving students in rural areas tools to keep up with remote lessons.
MPs also called for the creation of social welfare institutions to accommodate homeless adults and children and protect them against infection.
Morocco established an economic monitoring committee to ensure the country's special fund, established to respond to the virus, addressed citizens' social, economic, and health needs.
Created with an initial sum of $1 billion as an initiative of King Mohammed VI, the fund has more than doubled thanks to contributions from several state and private institutions, as well as Moroccan businessmen.
Morocco currently has 49 recorded cases of Covid-19.