This chapter takes a closer look at the rules governing taxation in Morocco, examining in particular the changes made to pension insurance contracts and to the payment of value-added tax. It also contains a viewpoint by Kamal Mokdad, Managing Partner, Mazars Morocco.…
Although total expenditure on health per capita has stayed fairly constant in Morocco, advances have been made to improve the provision and delivery of health care. A 2011 constitutional amendment enshrined access to health care as a basic right, with increasing amounts of public financing going towards expanding health services, although work remains to extend coverage to uninsured segments of the…
Considerable advances have been made in increasing enrolment levels, with net primary school enrolment reaching 98% in 2013, up from 85% in 2003, although challenges remain in ensuring adequate access to education in rural areas. The government has worked to improve infrastructure through the rehabilitation of schools and the involvement of the private sector. An emphasis on vocational training is…
The Rawaj Vision 2020 development plan devised by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and New Technologies aims to grow the retail sector’s contribution to GDP from 11% to 15% and generate 450,000 new jobs. As consumer confidence returns to the economy, new mall developments have sprung up, alongside an influx of foreign brands and franchises into the country. Although it continues to be dominated by…
Despite grappling with the challenges of political instability in North Africa and the impact of the eurozone crisis in Europe, Morocco continues to pursue the objective identified in its national tourism development plan, Vision 2020, of becoming a top-20 tourism destination by 2020. The sector already contributes 12% of GDP, supports around 505,000 direct jobs and is an important foreign exchange…
Although Morocco’s economy has traditionally seen the highest concentration of economic activity around the major cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Tangiers, several initiatives have sought to increase investment in the country’s southern region. The area benefits from a number of natural resources, including pelagic fish and mineral reserves. Wind and solar generation, as well as ecotourism, are…
As the only country in North Africa without commercially relevant oil or gas reserves, Morocco relies heavily on foreign energy imports to meet domestic demand. To counter this dependence, the government has embarked on a range of reforms to boost renewable energy sources. These efforts are concentrated around solar, wind and hydroelectricity, which together are expected to comprise 42% of the national…
Estimated at around 5% of GDP, the telecommunications sector has greatly expanded over the last few years, even by emerging market standards. Mobile and internet penetration have increased on the back of reduced prices and a rise in foreign investment, with the mobile segment leading growth in usage volumes. Moreover, the government has led a push to encourage infrastructure sharing, on the back of…
The government’s Green Morocco Plan, launched in 2008 to run through 2020, aims to boost productivity through closer public-private collaboration, while at the same time improving smallholders’ earnings. While the country has in recent years made significant strides in boosting food output, several segments – including cereals, powdered milk and table oil – fall shy of their potential, and…
An influx of capital and a number of major upgrades have improved Morocco’s transport sector significantly in recent years, with private investment initiatives working alongside the state-led development programme. Despite tight budgetary constraints, authorities allocated a large chunk of the 2015 budget towards transport projects, with the biggest slice going to the ports segment, followed by tranches…
