Mr. Mohammed BOUSSAID, Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Moulay Hafid ELALAMY, Minister of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy, and Mr. Abdelkbir MOUTAWAKKIL, President of the Federation of Chemistry and Parachemistry, signed Thursday, December 17th, 2015 in Rabat, two specific performance agreements with Green Chemistry chains and Organic Chemistry as well as an agreement of transverse measures during the launching ceremony of two ecosystems on these two sectors.
On this occasion, the Minister of Economy and Finance called for seizing the opportunities the chemical industry offers, in view of the contribution of this sector to the national GDP.
"These launched ecosystems will have a significant impact, particularly in terms of job creation and the decline of trade balance deficit," stressed Mr. BOUSSAID.
On the other hand, the Minister of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy stated that the launch of these ecosystems is called to respond to the need to address some deficiencies in the chemical sector (excluding phosphates), namely in particular, the deficit observed at the level of trade, the atomization of its activities, which are largely provided by SMEs as well as the unequal participation of its companies in the creation of added value.
"The setting up of these ecosystems, the result of a public-private partnership led in an exemplary way, will enable the emergence of an efficient chemical industry structured with greater efficiency in the activities it is linked to both upstream or downstream,” explained Mr. ELALAMI.......
The first two ecosystems on Green Chemistry and Organic Chemistry sectors, that does not cover the OCP activities, will contribute by 2020 to create 12,430 new direct and stable jobs and 20,570 indirect jobs and generate additional sales of 14.6 billion dirhams and an additional added value of 3.8 billion dirhams as well as an additional export turnover of 9.8 billion dirhams.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy, the support provided for ecosystem players responds perfectly to the needs and expectations of operators. It aims to support investment, through the Industrial Development Fund (IDF), at a rate between 15 and 30% of the entire amount invested, support for the competitiveness of the very small and medium-sized businesses and self-entrepreneurs, supporting businesses for the conclusion of performance agreements and access to land at attractive prices (39.6 hectares and 60 hectares respectively devoted to ecosystems "Organic Chemistry" and "Green Chemistry").
It also seeks the setting up of training for the benefit of 12,430 future direct jobs generated by the chemical industry in 2020, access to bank financing, through the development of an integrated product dedicated to investment and operating system funding and support for industries by the conclusion of agreements with the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MAScIR) to facilitate access to R & D.