9 New Agreements to Strengthen the Handicraft Sector in Tiznit Region
In an integrated and comprehensive program to develop the handicraft sector and the social and solidarity economy, Lahcen Saidi, Secretary of State in charge of handicrafts and social and solidarity economy, announced the signing of nine important partnership agreements in the Tiznit region, in collaboration with various governmental, institutional, and civil society stakeholders. The aim is to enhance the positioning of this sector within the local and regional development dynamics.
The Secretary of State highlighted that the first of these agreements is a framework agreement focusing on the development of the jewelry and ornamentation system, signed with a number of partners including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Businesses, Employment and Skills, Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Investment, the General Directorate of Customs and Indirect Taxes, the Association of Traditional Industry Chambers, and the Federation of Traditional Industry Businesses. This agreement aims to create a new dynamic to promote the jewelry sector as a unique economic and cultural driver.
A partnership agreement for the development and promotion of the social economy was also signed in the municipality of Sidi Bou Abadli, aimed at establishing and equipping a space for displaying and marketing handicraft products and local goods, as a step to enhance product value and improve local stakeholders’ incomes, promoting economic and social inclusion for the beneficiary groups.
In this same vein, an agreement was signed to create and equip a crafts and services area in the municipality of Arbaa Sahel, covering an area of 1,000 square meters, which will include 25 shops dedicated to artisans in fields such as carpentry, metalwork, aluminum joinery, and other service activities, aimed at providing an organized and well-equipped professional space to ensure artisans’ stability and develop their activities.
An agreement was also signed to rehabilitate the handicraft market in the municipality of Tafraout, which includes restoration work on 15 shops for display and sale, equipping shared spaces and sanitary facilities, and connecting the market to water, electricity, and sewage networks, as part of improving infrastructure and providing a stimulating commercial environment for traditional craftsmen.
In the same municipality, another agreement was signed to create and equip a space dedicated to showcasing and selling products from the handicraft and social economy sectors, to serve as an additional attraction for tourists and achieve integration with the tourism potentials of the region, especially since Tafraout is considered an attractive tourism destination for the city of Agadir.
This dynamic was strengthened by a partnership agreement with the municipality of Ameln, concerning various projects including the creation and equipping of a space for displaying traditional products, equipping two artisan empowerment centers for women in the villages of Askin and Ighalan, and organizing annual exhibitions coinciding with local festivals such as the “Tifawin Festival” and “Almond Festival,” reflecting the sector’s openness to cultural and tourism activities.
Among the distinctive projects is a specific agreement concerning the Social and Solidarity Economy House at the center of Haj Mohamed Borkouz in Tiznit, where a permanent and equipped space will be established to showcase and promote products from local cooperatives as part of an integrated development project aimed at enabling stakeholders to sustainably integrate into the economy and achieve social justice by supporting projects that directly impact vulnerable groups.
To reinforce the partnership with civil society, several support and collaboration agreements were signed with local associations in the Souss-Massa region, reflecting the participatory approach pursued by the Secretary of State in formulating and implementing its field projects.
The last two agreements are addendums: the first involves amending Article 3 of the agreement to create a handicraft complex in the municipality of Anzi regarding financial operations organization and role distribution among actors, while the second pertains to the ceramic craft complex project in Tiznit, where new technical and administrative adjustments were made to expedite work progress and complete construction and final equipping phases of the project.
These agreements are part of a strategic vision focused on developing local capacities, enabling artisans with modern professional spaces, and linking handicrafts with tourism and the solidarity economy, thereby enhancing their contribution to job creation, improving income, and revitalizing local cultural heritage.
