The operational capacity of all productive sectors rebounded during the first quarter of 2024 (M. Akhannouch) – Media7

Monday, June 10, 2024 at 8:19 p.m.

Rabat – The first quarter of 2024 saw a recovery in the operational capacity of all productive sectors, said Monday the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, during the monthly oral questions session in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Akhannouch, in response to a central question on “stimulation of investment and dynamism of employment”, noted that more than 63,000 jobs were created in the services sector and around 34,000 new ones were recorded in the industrial sector, including crafts, in addition to several indicators confirming the recovery of the agricultural sector in terms of job creation.

The Head of Government stressed that the government’s choices aimed at promoting economic diversification and seeking new formulas to develop non-agricultural activities following successive years of drought have enabled the national economy to achieve positive results, despite challenges imposed by the national and international context, noting that the growth rate in 2023 increased significantly to 3.4%, which “exceeds forecasts”.

Consequently, indicated Mr. Akhannouch, Morocco was able, for the first time, to cross the threshold of 140 billion dollars of gross domestic product (GDP), which highlights “the dynamism of the national economic fabric over the last two years”. He also specified that the downward trend in debt reduction continued, “the debt rate falling below 70% of GDP, after reaching record levels in 2020”.

The government was also able to reduce the budget deficit to 4.3% in 2023, compared to 7% in 2020, he continued, noting that this demonstrates “the credibility of the government’s commitment to bringing down the deficit below the threshold of 3% of GDP by 2026”.

Furthermore, the Head of Government affirmed that “the major successes and significant progress” obtained in the implementation of the various national strategies adopted since the start of the mandate, will reinvigorate the government’s desire, in the years to come, to facilitate the conditions for economic integration of job seekers so that they enjoy the highest possible standard of living.

He noted, in this regard, the continuation of the Cities of Trades and Skills (CMC) program, equipped with sectors with high employment potential, stressing that the year 2023 saw the opening of 4 new CMCs, offering 100 courses in 13 professional centers, with a capacity of 12,780 educational places, in addition to the commitment to open 3 new CMCs during the 2023-2024 academic year as well as the completion of the construction work that of the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region.

This positive trend which has marked government action is also reflected in promising sectoral dynamics, in particular the achievements made in the tourism, crafts and agriculture sectors, noted Mr. Akhannouch.

The quantitative and qualitative gains in terms of the volume of Moroccan exports and the promotion of the “Made in Morocco” label, which today amounts to around 43 billion dollars per year, particularly in the automobile, aeronautics, rail, shipbuilding and renewable energies, as well as electronics, agri-food, textiles and leather, “concretely demonstrate the relevance of government action in these vital sectors”, a- he indicated.

Mr. Akhannouch highlighted “the qualitative transition” achieved in the tourism sector, which attracted more than 14.5 million tourists, with record revenues of more than 105 billion dirhams, achievements which directly contributed to a real revival of the sector and to attract a qualified workforce in the hotel and tourism professions.

Thanks to these efforts, non-agricultural activities have enabled the creation of 116,000 net jobs on an annual average during the years 2022 and 2023, despite the challenges, he specified, noting that this average is higher than the average recorded during the period 2010-2015, which did not exceed 58,000 jobs, before stabilizing at 66,000 during the years 2016-2021.

The Head of Government also reviewed “the government’s continued efforts to implement the pillars of the Green Generation, which aims to prioritize the human element, strengthen agricultural production and increase its competitiveness,” adding that the agricultural sector opens promising avenues for investment and public-private partnership, while remaining open to the aspirations of young entrepreneurs.

All the achievements made “confirm the effectiveness of the choices made by making investment a mechanism for creating decent jobs, in particular by encouraging projects which are part of the socio-economic development of Morocco”, concluded Mr. Akhannouch.