Societal Trust | Tarik Fadli | TEDxESCA

Key Concepts

Societal trust, public notary (Mkata), digitization of administration, top-down vs. bottom-up approaches, facial recognition, AI validation, public-private partnership (PPP), identity theft, fraud, Moroccan way, Lasha Inovo, signature notary, societal problems, corruption.

The Problem: Low Societal Trust and Inefficient Public Notary System (Mkata)

The speaker highlights a significant problem in Morocco: a severe lack of societal trust. He states that only 12.3% of Moroccans trust each other, ranking Morocco fourth-lowest globally in societal trust, only ahead of Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Egypt. This lack of trust manifests in various inefficiencies and societal problems, particularly within the public notary system (Mkata).

• Inefficiency and Corruption: The speaker describes the Mkata system as archaic and prone to corruption. Examples include:
  • People going back in time to notarize documents.
  • Dead people notarizing documents.
  • Fraudulent rental contracts where individuals bribe officials to avoid paying taxes (62% of Casablanca rentals).
  • Atrocities such as almost legalizing pedophilia.
• Lack of Trust Evident in Redundancy: The speaker points out the redundancy at Moroccan airports, where one policeman's stamp on a passport is immediately verified by another, as a clear sign of this lack of trust.
• High Cost of Mistrust: The speaker argues that the 2,400 Mkata offices and 176 consulates exist primarily because Moroccans don't trust each other's signatures.

Ora: A Technological Solution to Enhance Trust and Efficiency

Ora is presented as a technological solution designed to address the problem of low societal trust and inefficiencies within the Mkata system. The core idea is to provide a secure and reliable way for Moroccans to validate documents and signatures using technology.

• App-Based Solution: Ora is an app that allows Moroccans to digitally sign documents and have them witnessed using technology.
• Facial Recognition and AI Validation: The app utilizes facial recognition to prevent identity theft and fraud, even distinguishing between twins. AI is used to validate the content of legal documents.
• Integration with Police System: Ora is integrated with the police system, allowing users to activate their accounts using their national ID and facial recognition.
• Addressing Multiple Issues: The ambition of Ora is to become a comprehensive app that addresses various issues beyond just signature notarization, aiming to provide a "Moroccan way" of handling legal documents.

Innovation in Process: A Bottom-Up Approach

The speaker emphasizes that Ora's innovation lies not only in technology but also in its approach to solving the problem. He contrasts Ora's bottom-up approach with the top-down approaches often favored by the government.

• Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up: The speaker criticizes the government's tendency to hire large consulting firms (the "big five") that propose solutions based on examples from other countries (Singapore, Korea, Dubai, Saudi Arabia) without considering Morocco's unique context and history.
• Digitizing the People: Ora aims to "digitize these people" (referring to the existing Mkata officials) by providing them with digital tools, rather than trying to replace them entirely.
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP): Ora is being implemented through a public-private partnership, with the government taking ownership of the project after its initial development by a private company.

Business Model and Impact

The speaker explains Ora's business model and its potential impact on Moroccan society.

• Free App, Revenue Through Transactions: The app itself is provided for free to citizens. Revenue is generated through a small fee per signature (10 dirhams).
• Addressing a Real Need: The speaker argues that people are already paying for the inefficiencies of the current system through lost time, travel expenses, and even corruption. Ora offers a more efficient and transparent alternative.
• Potential for Significant Revenue: With an estimated 29.5 million signatures per year in Morocco, the project has the potential to generate $30 million annually.
• Lasha Inovo Law: The speaker highlights the importance of the "Lasha Inovo" law, which allows Moroccan startups to sell their solutions directly to the government without going through a lengthy RFP process. This law was created as a result of the challenges faced during the development of Ora.

Conclusion

Ora represents a significant effort to address the problem of low societal trust and inefficiencies in Morocco's public notary system. By leveraging technology and adopting a bottom-up approach, Ora aims to provide a more secure, efficient, and transparent way for Moroccans to validate documents and signatures. The project's success hinges on its ability to gain widespread adoption and integrate seamlessly into the existing legal and administrative framework. The speaker emphasizes that the project was born out of a desire to solve a problem for Moroccans, rather than a purely profit-driven motive.