The Club PPP MEDAFRIQUE organized, Tuesday, May 31st 2011 in Casablanca, under the high patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), a meeting-debate on the presentation of the FEMIP survey concerning the implementation of PPP in Morocco.
This meeting-debate, Moderated by Mr. Marc Teyssier of Orfeuil, Vice-president of the Club PPP MEDAFRIQUE, is part of a continuing process of the 9th FEMIPRegional Conference held Monday, May 30th 2011 by the MEF, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Association of Chambers of Mediterranean Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) in Casablanca, under the theme: Meeting the infrastructure challenge in the Mediterranean, the PPP potential.
During the meeting, Mr. Guido Prud`homme, head of the EIB office in Morocco presented the main results concerning Morocco and FEMIP research on legal and financial frameworks for PPPs in the Mediterranean partner countries. The main objective is to provide concrete and practical recommendations to remove barriers limiting the development of PPPs.
This analysis demonstrated that Morocco has extensive experience in PPP projects in the concession system, has macroeconomic conditions that support investment and many potential sources for funding its PPP programs. However, it would be worth to benefit from a single legislative framework, the implementation of an appropriate PPP in terms of quality and quantity and additional foreign financing sources.
In his presentation on the legal and institutional framework for PPPs in Morocco, Mr. Samir Mohammed Tazi, Director of Public Enterprises and Privatization, indicated that the development of PPP in Morocco is a relevant driver of the increased supply of quality public services and the attraction of domestic and foreign private investors. He highlighted Morocco?s strengths namely its sustained and non-inflationary macroeconomic framework, its PPP successful experience and its legislation that is robust enough to boost the development of PPP in Morocco.
Mr. Tazi also highlighted Morocco?s tools to develop projects in partnership with the private sector including the creation of Investment Funds for the benefit of various sectors and companies dedicated to the implementation of major infrastructure projects such as (MASEN, TMSA ...), and the setting up of a PPP Unit in the DEPP in charge of projects? coordination and the dissemination of best practices within the same framework.
He stressed that the setting up of this unit in the MEF, like the international best practices, meets the willingness to adopt a unified and cross-sectoral approach, to coordinate between the various stakeholders and provide better visibility for investors.
Mr.Tazi stated that the successful development of PPPs in Morocco requires not only greater mobilization of funders and foreign and domestic investors but also technical support and strengthening of cooperation and sharing of expertise namely between Mediterranean countries.
He also expressed Morocco?s will to develop in the short term, a bill specific to PPP based on direct experience gained through project management, PPP innovative pilot to take account of special PPP needs and the investors? expectations.
Was also present at the meeting Mr. François BERGERE, Secretary General of the Mission to Support the implementation of partnership contracts in France (MAPPP). Mr. BERGERE presented the experience of this organization and its changing role, since its inception in 2005, in the development of PPP in France.
A number of consultants, lawyers and representatives from the private sector were involved in the proceedings of this meeting. Many aspects were discussed namely the expected benefits from PPP, the involvement of the Moroccan private sector in PPPs, the criteria for selecting the sectors concerned, the preliminary assessment, the monitoring and governance of PPP projects.