Industrial zones: Still big challenges ahead

In his presentation to the Productive Sectors Committee of the House of Representatives, Ryad Mezzour addressed the constraints that hinder the implementation of the industrial zones program across different regions of Morocco. Before going into detail, the Minister of Trade and Industry recalled the three goals of the industrial land development policy.

First, fostering of investment in industry, by offering industrial reception areas at preferential rates and standards that meet quality and sustainability requirements. It is also a question of setting up industrial zones within the reach of all investors, particularly those which have been prepared within the framework of a partnership with the Government. Then, the goal is to reduce territorial and social disparities.

Another goal is to improve the competitiveness and attractiveness of existing industrial zones. It is a question of setting up a legal framework governing the industrial zones in order to face the problems which reduce their effectiveness.

This was an opportunity for the Minister to specify that the implementation of industrial zone projects faces several challenges, such as the multiplicity of stakeholders in programming and execution. Similarly, discrepancies exist at the level of the zone programming schedule. The Town Planning scheme is spread over 25 years whereas generally, five years are planned for industrial zone projects.

To overcome this situation, the measures that have been taken do advocate cooperation and coordination with the various stakeholders at the national and local level, particularly at the level of the Ministry in charge of Urbanism and the joint working committees in charge of monitoring the preparation of the urban planning plans. There are also regional councils for everything concerning local development. The mobilization of land for projects must meet the challenge of rising prices for land acquisition. The slowness of the settlement procedure, the land base, and the influence of speculation do not help matters. Added to this is the absence of a tax system which would be adapted to the specificity of industrial zones relating to the tax on undeveloped land and the tax on collective services. The Ministry is in favor of presenting financial support for industrial zone projects. The goal is to lower marketing prices. Ditto for the incentive of the private sector to invest in these projects.

Mohamed CHAOUI