“The Moroccan ICT Industry : potentialities and perspectives”

A high growth profitable sector

ICT sector in Morocco is highly expanding over the past few years, it constitute a guenine pool for the creation of wealth, employment, and growth :

• IT Industry growth : 6% per year from 2001 to 2004, 10% per year from 2004 to 2006
• Number of employees : 41 000 in 2006.
• Number of ICT key players : 1 500 corporate companies
• Offshoring is a strongly emerging sector
• Strong position in certain niche markets : Know more about this

Progress Contract 2006-2012 : a concerted and voluntarist strategy

Determined to optimize the potentialities, it enjoys for developing a national, competitive and high performance ICT industry, the Kingdom of Morocco has opted for a strategy of determination with the objective of reaching a turnover for ICTs in 2012 of nearly 9 billion US$ in 2012 representing 10% of GDP. That is to say an IT industry growth of 18% per yearfrom 2006 to 2012.

This strategy developed in close cooperation with all sector stakeholders and supported by the Prime Minister has been formalized in 2006 by the signature of a ‘’ Progress Contract 2006-2012 ‘’ between the Government and the private sector, represented by Apebi, the Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Offshoring

The resources to create this enabling environment

• An average investment amount of 150 million $US for the whole action plan
• A real return of investment ensured for the Government :More than 1,5 billion $US of taxes revenues from 2006 to 2012
• IT Industry - estimated growthrelated to this action plan : 2006-2012 : 18% per year
• A turnover amounting to 9 billion $US in 2012 for IT - Telecom & Offshoring
• Creation of 125,000 job opportunities in the IT sectors within 2012 (including 90,000 related to Offshoring)

The action plan components

In the way to launch this ICT voluntary public policy, a strategic and operational plan has been built up on three main parameters :

• An unconditional support to the development of the national ICT industry
• The development of the domestic market
• The attraction of foreign investments, the support dedicated to the export and international promotion, and the creation of job opportunities

This action plan has been sliced throughout 10 thematics :

• An unconditional support to the development of the national ICT industry
• Support to Innovation, R&D and creation of added value
• Upgrading the access to the domestic market for the national ICT operators
• Access to financing and the establishment of dedicated ICT funds
• Accelerated deployment of Electronic Administration
• Attracting foreign investments and support for exports
• Training and human resources development
• Ensure the creation of dedicated technological parks
• Establishment of a digital confidence environment
• Extension of Internet in Morocco
• Continuation of liberalization of the telecommunication sector

The practical aspect of this strategy is based on :