Participants during the workshop

The Ministry of Economy and Finance of Morocco, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, conducted a consultation and discussion workshop in Rabat on July 18, 2023. This event saw the participation of several ministerial departments, focusing on strengthening public policy in the area of entrepreneurship promotion, specifically targeting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), based on the preliminary findings of the Entrepreneurial Profile of Morocco Report.

The workshop's goal was to create a multi-sector institutional dialogue space for the Bank and stakeholders involved in entrepreneurship promotion in Morocco. The aim was twofold: firstly, to draw parallels between the survey results and the contributions of existing public support mechanisms for entrepreneurship; and secondly, to propose a framework for harmonizing and converging these mechanisms and public policies for entrepreneurship promotion and MSME development in Morocco.

Regarding recommendations, all workshop participants agreed that public mechanisms for entrepreneurship promotion and support for small enterprises exist in various forms, covering practically the entire entrepreneurship value chain.

However, efforts are anticipated at various levels:

  • Harmonization and Convergence: There's a need to establish a framework for harmonizing existing support mechanisms, with a view towards creating a holistic initiative for entrepreneurship promotion.
  • Coordination of Interventions: Emphasizing the importance of working on a coordination process for actions among all concerned actors.
  • Communication: Both upstream and downstream, a new vision for innovative communication is necessary. This will allow for better visibility and understanding of the various available mechanisms.
  • Perception: As part of improving communication, one goal is to enhance Moroccan entrepreneurs' perception of the efforts and initiatives undertaken by the government. This is particularly true for entrepreneurs in the informal sector who are not yet aware of the benefits of formalization.
  • Innovation: Innovate in terms of technical and financial support services, especially for underserved populations (rural areas, women, youth, etc.).
  • Evaluation: With a commitment to continuous improvement of support mechanisms, it's necessary to institutionalize the 'evaluation' aspect. This culture of evaluation should be established among public institutions.