The general context of the conference
Preparation for the participation of the Guelmim Oued Noun Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services in the national trade debate at the end of April 2019
Pursuant to the decisions of the extended meeting held in Rabat on 16 January 2019 between the coordination of trade unions and heads of national professional associations and federations and heads of regional chambers of commerce, industry and services on the need to organize a national debate on internal trade
Activate the participatory approach adopted by the Guelmim and Noun Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services
Objectives of the meeting
Involve professional associations in the formulation of proposals to remove all constraints and obstacles and propose solutions to promote the sector.
Formulate recommendations to be submitted during the national debate.
Preparatory meetings
As part of the preparations for the organization of the regional trade debate in Guelmim and Adonoun, the Chamber held several consultative and preparatory meetings at the Chamber’s headquarters in Guelmim, as well as its annex in Tan-Tan, which reviewed the main constraints to the development of the sector and proposals to overcome them.
President and some members of the audience
Heads of the Departments of Economic Affairs and Coordination and Social Services of Wilayat and Authority workers
Heads of foreign interests in the region
Representatives of professional associations and trade unions at entity level
Managers and staff of the room
These meetings are part of an exchange of views with a view to developing a common vision and roadmap for redefining the role of the trader as an actor in local and regional development in the context of his or her full role as a field arm to operationalize sectoral strategies and support programmes as a regional catalyst for economic development. All aspects of interest to the trader and the trade.
Work on the foundations
On Thursday, April 04, 2019, Guelmim launched the regional debate on trade organized by the Guelmim-Oued Noon Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services under the slogan “The trader is an essential actor in development”. In partnership with the Agency for the Promotion and Economic and Social Development of the Southern Territories.
The debate is being held as part of the preparations for the April national trade debate in Marrakech and the national debate on levies, which will take place next May in Rabat. The debate, organised in partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and the Digital Economy, aims to involve professional associations in the development of proposals to remove constraints and obstacles, and to develop proposals for solutions to promote the sector.
In this context, the head of the Guelmim Oued Noun Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services, El Hocine Elioua, pointed out that the trade and services sector is the leading sector in the region, occupying 50% of the active population and contributing to 68% of Guelmim Oued Noun’s wealth.
He added in his speech that this debate was an opportunity to communicate with traders in order to diagnose the constraints that prevent the development of this sector in Guelmim Oued Midi, and to seek ways to promote it and modernize trade in the face of challenges, including the tax aspect and unfair competition. Difficulties in access to funds, lack of coverage and social protection and the spread of the informal sector.
For his part, the representative of the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and the Digital Economy, Mohamed Benmani, stressed the importance of the trade and distribution sector in the national economic fabric, explaining in a speech that it was the second largest employer at the national level with about 1.5 million jobs, or 13% of the working population. He also pointed out that this sector is the fourth largest contributor to GDP with an added value of 80 billion dirhams.
The regional meeting included three thematic workshops on legislation, taxes, infrastructure and logistics, as well as a workshop on social support programs.
The participants in these workshops, which brought university and university professors to study and analyse all aspects related to the commercial sector, also discussed the need for tax reform and ways to regulate the commercial sector, as well as other topics such as social security coverage and retirement, as well as the adoption of social protection for traders, and issues of financing and access to banking services.
