The Cooperative Development Office ends a temporary system lasting 50 years and launches a comprehensive restructuring of the cooperative sector
On Monday in Rabat, the Cooperative Development Office announced the cessation of the temporary system that has governed its operations since 1975. This regulatory step marks a pivotal moment that ends decades of waiting and opens the door to a comprehensive restructuring in line with Morocco’s evolving economic and social landscape.
This announcement was made during a board meeting chaired by the Secretary of State for Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Lahcen Saadi. It was confirmed that the new legal framework for the institution will be completed by March 2025, facilitating the establishment of specialized administrative structures focused primarily on supporting cooperatives and enhancing employment opportunities.
Data presented during the meeting highlighted the growing dynamism of the cooperative sector. Cooperatives contributed to the creation of more than 24,000 job opportunities in 2025. As of the end of November, the number of registered cooperatives reached 65,315, encompassing approximately 790,000 members, with women and youth constituting a significant portion, totaling nearly 272,000 women and more than 18,000 young people.
Saadi emphasized that the cooperative sector is a crucial lever for addressing employment challenges and enhancing economic inclusion. He noted that the achievements recorded during 2025 underscore the importance of supporting this sector with modern mechanisms capable of boosting its productivity and social and economic impact.
In this context, the Cooperative Development Office announced the launch of a comprehensive digital system to modernize the means of supporting cooperatives. This includes the establishment of a cooperative project bank, a digital platform for marketing cooperative products, and an online academy aimed at strengthening the capacities of stakeholders and fostering innovation within the sector.
The office explained that its strategy for the 2026-2028 period focuses on structural programs to enhance job creation, support economic inclusion, and improve sector governance. This will involve the digitization of cooperative setup processes starting from June 2026 and the implementation of a rating system for cooperatives based on performance, promoting transparency and credibility.
Financially, the office reported an improvement in its budget execution during 2025, attributed to a results-oriented planning approach in line with the provisions of the organic law of the finance law, reflecting a notable development in governance and management efficiency.
Through these reforms and the results achieved, the Cooperative Development Office reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to the establishment of an organized, innovative, and inclusive cooperative sector capable of playing a pivotal role in achieving sustainable development, in alignment with the new development model and the national employment strategy.
