The number of reported cases of corruption has risen from 7,000 to 13,000 annually since the launch in 2015 of the anti-corruption toll-free number by the ministry of Justice and Liberties, said, Thursday in Rabat, minister delegate for Relations with the Parliament and Civil Society, Government spokesman, Mustapha El Khalfi. Since the launch of the toll-free number, several people have been sentenced to prison terms in 31 corruption cases, El Khalfi said, answering a question on the government's response to corruption and embezzlement at a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting. Furthermore, he added, the government has taken other measures, particularly in protecting those who report cases of corruption, in addition to legal provisions to put in place an effective system of transparency, noting that the results of these measures are «palpable», especially as Morocco jumped nine spots in its world's ranking under the Corruption Perceptions Index 2017, compared to a year earlier. According to El Khalfi, the fight against corruption is one of the main priorities of the government, which has set up the National Anti-Corruption Committee and implemented the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in partnership with civil society actors.
