The deal to prepare the building of the National Library in Rabat caused great controversy between the administration and the National Syndicate of National Library Users. While the union said that the deal amounted to one billion 800 million billion 400 million centimes, and explained that the deal is still in the process of preparation.
The syndicate says that the management of the institution is trying to keep the details of the transaction secret, fixing a number of violations, including “the formation of a special commission for opening envelopes from members who do not meet the powers provided by law, indicating the conditions and form of conducting public transactions.”
Also, “the seven-day period established by law for informing the members of the committee was not observed, since the members of the committee were called on the eve of the meeting to open the envelopes, which does not allow them to familiarize themselves with the transaction, familiarize themselves with its terms, and express their opinions and comments on this matter in order established by law.”
She adds that the head of the opening committee was pressured after he “objected to the conclusion of the meeting and refused to take any responsibility related to this transaction, which was attended by representatives of the two companies and the newly created research office, which is tasked with administration to prepare the project for a deal, through a bid document that was clouded by many doubts and questions.
However, the director of the National Library, Muhammad Al-Farran, told Al-Youm 24 that there were “ideological motives” and “refusal to discipline administrative deadlines” on the part of Syndicate members behind this statement, adding that one of the Syndicate members was under consequence of the Supreme Accounting Council.
Al-Farran, in his response to the fact that the building is still in good condition and does not need such a huge sum for repairs, explained that the building, since its opening in 2008, is dilapidated and “in a state that is not the honor of Morocco”, given that its preparation is justified, especially the painting of its facade and the renewal of wood, aluminum and moquette in a number of rooms.
The institution, Al-Fran added, hosts foreign guests and organizes the activities of embassies, institutions and associations, which requires making it a worthy institution, noting that everything spent on its preparation is subject to legal procedures, the Financial Inspectorate and the Supreme Accounts Council.
