Charafat Afailal of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) has returned to government after an eight-year absence, with King Mohammed VI appointing her Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development on Friday.
The appointment brings the former water minister back into the cabinet, this time with responsibility for energy and mining at a time when Morocco is seeking to reduce its reliance on imported energy and expand renewable power generation.
Afailal, 54, previously served in the governments of Abdelilah Benkirane and Saad Eddine El Othmani, holding the water portfolio from October 2013 until 2018.
Her new assignment differs from her previous brief. Water is no longer part of her department, with the ministry now responsible for energy, mines and sustainable development.
A member of the PPS political bureau, Afailal entered government in October 2013 as Minister Delegate in charge of Water under Benkirane, reporting to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment.
She retained responsibility for water when El Othmani formed his government in April 2017, serving as secretary of state attached to the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water.
Her time in government coincided with growing concerns over water availability and the need to improve the management and preservation of the country’s resources.
Afailal also found herself at the center of controversy in December 2015 following remarks about allowances paid to ministers and parliamentarians during an appearance on the television program Dayf Al Oula.
Born in Tetouan on June 20, 1972, Afailal graduated from the Mohammadia School of Engineers in 1997.
She began her professional career in public institutions, including the National Drinking Water Office (ONEP) and the National Centre for Energy, Nuclear Science and Technology (CNESTEN), where she headed an environmental monitoring unit.
Her political involvement began in the PPS’s Socialist Youth organization. She served on its national bureau between 1994 and 1999 before joining the party’s political bureau in 2000.
In 2011, she was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Progress group and subsequently became the chamber’s eighth vice-president.
Afailal now takes charge of a ministry responsible for policies affecting energy supply, mining and sustainable development.
Morocco’s efforts to increase renewable energy production, attract investment in energy infrastructure and reduce dependence on imported fuels are among the matters falling within her new portfolio.
