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Akhannouch: Support for SMEs Reshapes the Investment Climate and Boosts Employment in Morocco
During the monthly oral question session at the House of Representatives on Monday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch stated that public policies aimed at supporting the business ecosystem have contributed to rebuilding a healthy economic climate full of investment opportunities. He emphasized the importance of very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the backbone of the national economy and a crucial driver of job creation.
Akhannouch noted that this category represents more than 90% of the business fabric in Morocco, serving as a key engine for local employment and an effective tool to reduce unemployment, especially among young people and vulnerable groups. He highlighted their role in fostering innovation, creating local added value, and reducing regional disparities, particularly through their widespread presence in rural and less developed areas.
The Prime Minister shed light on the reform of the public procurement system, which allocated 30% of procurement amounts to these enterprises. He considered the launch of a specific system for them a strategic milestone in implementing the new investment charter, ensuring fair distribution of support while enhancing local dimension and regional governance of investment.
Akhannouch indicated the introduction of three investment grants that could reach up to 30% of the eligible investment value. These include grants for creating permanent jobs, territorial grants aimed at reducing regional inequalities, and grants directed toward priority activities, covering 14 essential sectors and 54 sub-activities across various regions of the kingdom.
He added that the new employment roadmap has earmarked an annual support budget of 12 billion dirhams for small and medium enterprises, reflecting the government’s commitment to building a robust local economic dynamic and enhancing employment at the regional level.
The Prime Minister explained that by the end of November 2025, the promotional caravans under the new system had covered 31 provinces and regions out of 75, resulting in a broad mobilization of businesses and project holders. The national portal received 63 investment proposals worth nearly 880 million dirhams, which is expected to create about 2,200 direct jobs.
Akhannouch praised the involvement of institutional partners, particularly the banking sector and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, in supporting this dynamic through a funding and support charter for very small enterprises, aimed at providing suitable financing solutions and overcoming obstacles that hinder their growth.
He also highlighted the ongoing efforts of the National Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises in implementing the “PACTE TPME” program, through technical support initiatives to enhance competitiveness and sustainable growth while preserving jobs, alongside the preparation of a contractual framework with the state for the 2025-2030 period.
The Prime Minister addressed measures taken to support young project holders in agriculture, including the establishment of regional centers for agricultural enterprises and food industries, and enhancing technical and financial support for youth cooperatives, benefiting approximately 13,800 young men and women and 5,200 projects.
He noted the mobilization of 121,000 hectares of state-owned land for 1,698 projects, totaling an investment of 24 billion dirhams and resulting in roughly 69,000 job positions, along with the mobilization of nearly one million hectares of collective lands within a framework of integrated governance and support.
Akhannouch affirmed that these transformations have reshaped the development map of Morocco and strengthened the readiness of regions to lead economic activation and entrepreneurship programs, stressing the government’s commitment to continuing to implement royal directives and launching a new generation of regional development programs to ensure equitable sharing of growth benefits and translate public investment into tangible impacts on citizens’ lives.
