Lahcen Essaadi expressed his desire to increase the number of beneficiaries of this initiative during future editions.
Support: Led by the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy, the "Moazara" program concerns the contribution to the co-financing of innovative projects allowing for the creation of new employment opportunities, as well as the support and maintenance of activities, and socio-economic inclusion for the benefit of associations and networks of associations operating in the Social and Solidarity Economy sector at the national level.
Supporting social and solidarity economy organizations. This is the objective of the "Moazara" program, the results of which were unveiled during a meeting held on Monday, January 20, 2025, in Rabat. This event was chaired by Lahcen Essaadi, Secretary of State in charge of Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy. Speaking at the opening of this meeting, Mr. Essaadi did not fail to recall the progress made in the social economy sector and the fundamental role that associations play in this regard, noting that Morocco has more than 60,000 cooperatives.
A new roadmap will emerge
The "Moazara" program is bearing fruit according to the Secretary of State, who explains: "We have reached a crucial stage today that would allow for even more progress in the social and solidarity economy sector, particularly on the legislative and regulatory front." He added: "There is a set of reports that recommend putting in place a legislative and regulatory framework to improve this sector, which should occupy an important role in the upcoming events," referring to the major events that Morocco is expected to host. "We have a strategy and a vision that we wish to discuss and present during a national meeting that will take place during the month of May," emphasizes Mr. Essaadi, inviting stakeholders to take part. The conclusions of this national meeting should, as Mr. Essaadi specifies, chart a new roadmap for the sector. According to the government official, the "Moazara" program has been maintained because it has proven its efficiency in terms of financial support. Mr. Essaadi expressed, in this sense, his desire to increase the number of beneficiaries of this initiative during future editions.
Performance
During this meeting, Saloua Tajri, Director of Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy, presented a brief summary of the contributions of the "Moazara" program as well as the evolution of this initiative during its five editions. This program has, as a whole, created 11,125 direct jobs and maintained 18,600 jobs, representing nearly 30,000 jobs concerned. It has also supported 577 projects. In 2024, the 5th edition of "Moazara" supported 163 projects, 14 projects from cooperatives in the Oriental region, and 19 projects belonging to the Fès-Meknès region. It is planned, within the framework of this same edition, to create 2,789 employment opportunities and maintain 3,086 jobs. In 2023, the fourth edition financed 121 projects, 14 cooperative projects supported by the Oriental Regional Council. During this same edition, 44 association projects impacted by the Al Haouz earthquake were financed, 1,821 employment opportunities were created, and 7,635 jobs were maintained. Regarding the third edition (2023), 116 projects were supported, including 14 with the contribution of the Oriental Regional Council and 20 cooperative projects with funding from the Fès-Meknès Regional Council. During this same edition, 2,195 jobs were created and 1,588 were saved. During the second edition (2021), 135 projects were supported, 21 cooperative projects were supported with the contribution of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, and 14 projects with the contribution of the Oriental Regional Council. The number of jobs created subsequently is 3,194 positions and 2,267 were maintained. As for the first edition (2020), 42 projects were supported, 1,126 employment opportunities were created, and 4,055 jobs were kept.
64% of beneficiaries are women
The indicators presented during this meeting revealed some salient elements. Indeed, 64% of the beneficiaries of the "Moazara" program are women. It also turns out that 47% of the beneficiaries belong to the rural world. By sector of activity, handicrafts represent 41%, followed by services with 14%, then agriculture (13%), and tourism (4%).
According to a survey conducted by the same department among the beneficiaries of the "Moazara" program, 97% of those concerned declare themselves satisfied with this initiative. In addition, 59% of respondents believe that their income has seen an increase that varies between 10% and 30%, while 28% of beneficiaries declare that their income has increased by more than 30%. Regarding the sustainability of the projects, 17% of beneficiaries declared that they would no longer need this support, 61% believe they need accompaniment, and 22% declare they need the financial support of "Moazara." It must be said that this program, which is part of the national strategy for the development of the social and solidarity economy, aims to contribute to the financing of development projects presented by associations and networks of associations working in this sector. It constitutes a lever of support for innovative projects, thus aiming to create income-generating activities, produce wealth, and strengthen employment opportunities, particularly for the benefit of women and young people.
It also aims to promote the integration of professional actors into the social and solidarity economy system at the national level. This initiative is distinguished by the strong involvement of regional institutional partners, who contribute to the financial support of cooperative projects in the various regions of the country.
