The National Investment Charter: The government aims to mobilize 550 billion dirhams and create 500,000 jobs by 2026
The Moroccan government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving ambitious goals in investment and employment by mobilizing 550 billion dirhams in private investments and creating 500,000 jobs by 2026, as part of implementing the royal directives through the new national investment charter.
In a presentation to Parliament, the Minister Delegate for Investment, Karim Zidane, revealed that the National Investment Commission has approved 237 investment projects valued at a total of 369 billion dirhams, which are expected to contribute to the creation of approximately 166,000 job opportunities across 46 provinces.
These figures, according to the government official, illustrate significant progress toward achieving the set goals, as about one-third of the anticipated job positions have already been realized at this stage.
The implementation of the charter is based on several strategic pillars, most notably enhancing decentralization by empowering regional unified investment committees to manage projects valued below 250 million dirhams, which accelerates the decision-making process at the local level.
The program also includes a support mechanism specifically aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, encouraging projects ranging from 1 to 50 million dirhams, given their crucial role in job creation.
In this context, a financial allocation of 15 billion dirhams has been designated within the draft finance law for 2025, of which 12 billion dirhams are directed towards productive investments that directly contribute to employment.
Despite the dynamic investment landscape, sectoral reports have indicated several challenges, the most notable being the high financial cost per job, which in some cases exceeds 2 billion dirhams for each created position.
Moreover, there has been a geographical concentration of projects in three main regions, raising concerns about the effectiveness of spatial distribution and territorial equity. In addition, the slow implementation of approved projects poses a real challenge, amid the absence of a precise and transparent monitoring system.
The government asserts that this strategy is a fundamental lever for achieving economic recovery and creating sustainable job opportunities; however, realizing the announced goals remains contingent upon accelerating the pace of local implementation, supporting the national entrepreneurial ecosystem, and ensuring the activation of investment projects on the ground according to standards of efficiency and transparency.
