Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, delivered an unusually frank and politically charged speech in Parliament this week, transforming what was expected to be a routine legislative discussion into a broader critique of governance and market practices in the country’s strategic energy sector.
Benali was speaking during a session of the House of Representatives dedicated to examining and voting on a draft law that would transform the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), a state-owned body responsible for overseeing oil, gas, and mineral exploration, into a joint-stock company. However, her intervention quickly moved beyond technical legal matters and addressed deeper structural issues affecting Morocco’s energy market.
In her remarks, the minister openly referred to risks of conflicts of interest, monopolistic practices, and overlapping economic and political interests within sectors that she said should be governed by principles of neutrality and fair competition. She warned that poor governance and concentration of market power could lead to inflated prices, limited access to modern and clean technologies, and delays in Morocco’s energy transition efforts.
Benali stated that stakeholders in the natural gas and infrastructure industries had expressed concerns about the lack of competitive balance within certain public institutions. She emphasized that the misuse of public funds or the granting of privileges without equal opportunity can distort markets and undermine long-term national interests.
The minister also invoked a 2020 speech by King Mohammed VI calling for deep reforms of public institutions and state-owned enterprises, highlighting the importance of transparency, efficiency, and accountability. By referencing the monarch’s reform agenda, Benali framed the proposed legal changes as part of a broader national effort to modernize governance and strengthen institutional oversight.
Her intervention carried additional political weight given the economic sensitivity of the energy sector in Morocco, where large private and public interests intersect. Observers noted that her comments signaled a rare instance of internal government criticism directed at entrenched influence networks and long-standing market imbalances.
Benali linked energy policy to broader themes of economic security, job creation, and national sovereignty, arguing that energy and mineral resources are not merely commercial matters but pillars of social stability and independent decision-making. She warned that continued dysfunction could weaken Morocco’s competitive position in emerging clean-energy markets and slow strategic projects.
The speech was widely interpreted as a call for stricter governance rules and clearer separation between political authority and economic influence. For many analysts, the intervention marked a notable moment in Morocco’s parliamentary debates, highlighting growing attention to transparency and accountability in sectors considered vital to the country’s future development.
