Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

MSMEs, significant driver of employment and GDP in Morocco. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are vital to the Moroccan economy, accounting for more than 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) and representing more than 70% of jobs (African Development Bank Group, 2021).
However, challenges precede the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the significant contribution of MSMEs to economic growth and livelihoods in Morocco, their development has been constrained by challenges that precede the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include inadequate access to credit and a lack of business, financial and innovation knowledge, skills, and capacity to manage and grow their enterprises. Stringent administrative, regulatory and tax requirements and related barriers, such as competition, may also disincentivise MSMEs from joining the formal sector.
Project objective. COVID-19 has and continues to increase MSMEs’ vulnerability to the risks that they were facing before the outbreak of the pandemic – and to a range of new ones. This study was commissioned by the global project on “Developing Risk Management Approaches for Climate and Health Risks”, in partnership with Allianz. The aim of this research is to analyse and identify a) the risks (perceived and experienced) faced by Moroccan MSMEs, b) the different mechanisms that they used to face these risks and c) potential opportunities to enhance MSMEs’ resilience and risk management abilities. GIZ will use these research results to inform the targeting of its capacity development activities and Allianz, as well as the Moroccan insurance industry more broadly, will gain a better understanding of MSMEs’ resilience needs.
Project methodology. This report is based on a combination of sources of information that will determine the key opportunities to improve the resilience of MSMEs in Morocco, namely, desktop research, key informant interviews, qualitative research (in-depth interviews as well as focus group discussions) and a quantitative survey. It focuses on three key sectors: the agribusiness industry, the automotive industry and the tourism industry. The rationale for the selection of these sectors is detailed in subsequent sections of this report and the key findings and opportunities described at the next page.