|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
 |
  |
Morocco
>> Regional Overview >> Morocco Overview ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Morocco
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Opportunities for Domestic and Foreign Investment,* 608-005
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $2,685,000 DA
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $2,685,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1999 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005Summary: The Government of Morocco (GOM), headed by Prime Minister Youssoufi and King Mohammed VI, has outlined an ambitious program of social and economic reforms to help accelerate and broaden the process of economic development in Morocco. The priorities of the government include administrative reform (with an emphasis on the administration of justice), small and medium enterprise (SME) development, anticorruption, gender equality, and education. The government seeks to establish a policy and regulatory framework that will help to attract private investment and an institutional capacity to support private enterprises.
USAID will support the GOM in its efforts to stimulate broad-based economic growth by implementing activities that will help accelerate the pace of legal and regulatory reforms; remove or reduce constraints to productive investment; strengthen institutions that support private-sector expansion; and enhance opportunities for SME development. Primary beneficiaries are disadvantaged Moroccans and entrepreneurs (particularly small, micro, and female) who will gain business and employment opportunities, low-cost housing, skills training, and access to otherwise unavailable financial resources.
Key Results: Key results for FY 2000 included the expansion of microcredit services to the Moroccan people; the adoption of a national charter for SME development; the creation of a small business monitoring unit in the National Statistics Directorate; completion of the Investors Roadmap diagnostic phase; and the instigation of a number of new activities. The latter included capacity-building assistance to industry associations and to the commercial court in Agadir; a new microfinance activity for housing; a one-stop business registration center; and assistance for administrative reform to streamline the process by which public land is allocated for private investment.
Performance and Prospects: There are two key components to this activity: Improved Policy, Administrative and Regulatory Framework for the Private Sector; and Strengthened Institutional Capacity to Foster Private Enterprise (including microenterprise financing through specialized microfinance institutions and commercial banks).
In FY 2001, USAID will obligate $955,000 to the policy administration component. These funds will be used to support the commercial policy reform program of the Ministry of Justice; to review the framework of laws and regulations governing business transactions and provide alternative models of commercial jurisprudence; and to finance participatory planning and gender activities in a target region in Southern Morocco.
USAID will obligate $1,730,000 to the improved institutional capacity component. These funds will be used to continue efforts to strengthen business associations in the southern target region through the provision of training, technical assistance, and information technology; to implement new microfinance (including microfinance for housing) and SME initiatives; to fund a continuing initiative to enhance transparency and efficiency at a pilot commercial court in Agadir; and to finance capacity-building of community-based organizations through ongoing cooperative agreements with the Near East Foundation and Catholic Relief Services.
Although most economic growth activities are gender neutral, USAID has integrated gender considerations throughout the economic growth strategy and has designed activities to maximize gender impacts.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: Three factors will affect the progress of the plan: 1) the level of funding available in future years; 2) continued progress on administrative reform; and 3) the use of Development Credit Authority as an alternative source of funds. In addition, ongoing donor coordination in the justice sector commercial policy analysis activity may lead to adjustments.
Other Donor Programs: Donor activity is significant, supporting structural adjustment, macroeconomic policy reform, infrastructure development, financial sector reform, related institutional policy reform, and assistance to specific sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and education. The World Bank is the preeminent donor in structural adjustment and financial market development. The European Union, the European Investment Bank, France, Japan, and Germany are other major donors in support of the private sector.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Primary contractors include the U.S. organizations Volunteers in Technical Assistance; The Services Group; PricewaterhouseCoopers; and Chemonics.
*Previously notified as Increased Opportunities for Domestic and Regional Trade and Investment.
Selected Performance Measures: Baseline(1998) Actual(1999) Actual(2000) Target(2001) Investor's Roadmap Progress toward admin. reform
0% 2.5% 10% 20% Microfinance Intermediaries: 10,300 42,000 55,000 65,000 0% 2.5% 10% 20% U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
 |
|||
Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
