PHARMACEUTICALS

Under the Investment Charter, the FPI offers partial coverage by the Government of certain expenses related to the acquisition of property (up to 20% of the cost of land), external infrastructure (up to 5% of the total amount of the investment programme, or 10% in the case of an investment in the sector of spinning, weaving or finishing) and vocational training (up to 20% of the cost of the training).

These contributions may be combined as long as the total contribution of the state does not exceed 5% of the total investment programme; or 10% in the case of investment in the sector of spinning, weaving or finishing; or when the investment project is located in a suburban or rural area.

Eligibility criteria:

The investment project must meet at least one of the following five criteria:

As part of the Industrial Acceleration Plan, aid from the Hassan II Fund has been extended to include the chemicals and para-chemicals industries (ICP). The Fund provides a financial contribution of up to 15% of the total amount of the investment, capped at 30 million dirhams, detailed as follows:

To benefit from the Fund new investment projects (either creation or expansion) must represent a total investment amount of 10 million dirhams or more before tax and import duty, with the condition that the amount of investment in new or second-hand capital equipment before tax and import duty must exceed 5 million dirhams and that the investors are companies operating in one of the following activities:

The investment application must include the following documents:

A completed application form requesting assistance from the Hassan II Fund.

Tax incentives are provided for by article 123-22°-a) of the General Tax Code and Article 7.1 of finance law No. 12-98 for the 1998/9 budget year as amended and supplemented by the following:

SMEs in the sector may benefit from special support within the programmes developed by MAROC PME:

• The implementation of a canvassing plan for FDI’s: International CRO’s, research centres and international universities, equipment manufacturers and electronic equipment.
• The implementation of targeted regulatory measures: enforcement decrees of the law on clinical trials, sites certification, guarantee of patents’ protection, decrees relating to bio-similar medicine and medical devices…
• The introduction of measures that will encourage local integration: export licenses for vegetal resources not valued locally;
• Access to land through the provision of 8 hectares of land, at competitive prices.
• Implementation of a training scheme covering 100% to the ecosystems’ needs: 4700 to 5000 profiles.
• Introduction of the national preference clause in public calls for tenders.
• Represent an amount of 200 million dirhams or more over a 3-year period;
• To be located in one of the provinces or prefectures mentioned in Decree No. 2-98-520 dated 5 Rabii I 1419 (30 June 1998);
• Create a minimum of 250 stable jobs over 3 years;
• Provide technology transfer;
• Contribute to the protection of the environment.
• 10% of the cost of commercial buildings (excluding any other state contribution given for the acquisition of land and/or construction of professional buildings);
• 20% of acquisition cost of new capital equipment (excluding any other state contribution given for the acquisition of capital equipment).
• Research for new medications with therapeutic benefit for the treatment of serious diseases;
• Manufacturing of generic or bio-similar versions of innovative medicines with high added value either therapeutically or economically.
• The statutes of the company;
• A detailed description of the investment project;
• References of the investor;
• The cost of the project and the number of jobs created;
• The method of financing the project;
• Architectural plans of the buildings;
• Surveying certificate;
• A list of new equipment to purchase, with quotes;
• Installation plans with all equipment shown to scale, with the designation of all equipment (in line with the aforementioned list of equipment);
• The project schedule;
• The exemption from import duty on capital equipment, materials and tools necessary for the implementation of an investment project with a total cost greater than 200 million dirhams during 36 months after the signing of the investment agreement; this exemption is extended to parts, replacement parts and accessories imported at the same time as the aforementioned equipment;
• The exemption from VAT on imports of capital equipment, materials and tools necessary for the implementation of an investment project with a total cost greater than 200 million dirhams until 36 months after the start of activity by the company or from the date of issuance of the building permit, and which may be extended by six months in the event of force majeure (renewable once); this exemption is extended to parts, replacement parts and accessories imported at the same time as the aforementioned equipment.

IMTIAZ CROISSANCE (link to site ANPME); ISTITMAR CROISSANCE (link to site ANPME); AUTO-ENTREPRENEUR (link to site ANPME).

A free trade zone (ZFE) is a specified area of land devoted to export activities for industrial purposes and related service activities. Each free zone is created and delimited by a decree that determines the nature and business activities that can be established there. The operational free trade zones are located at Tangier (Tanger Free Zone – TFZ and Tanger Automotive City – TAC), at Kenitra (Atlantic Free Zone – AFZ), at Casablanca (Midparc), at Rabat (Technopolis) and at Oujda (Technopole d’Oujda).

To obtain free zone status under law No. 19-94, companies must have obtained authorization from the local commission of the free export zone, which is presided over by the wali or governor of the region, and must make at least 70% of their turnover from exports.

Free zone status allows for the exemption of foreign trade and exchange controls, as well as access to the following state aid:

Tax incentives resulting in:

• Exemption from income tax (IR) during the first 5 years, and then a reduction of 80% of tax on gross earned income during the following 20 years;
• Exemption from corporation tax (IS) for the first 5 years, and then a rate of 8.75% for the following 20 years;
• Exemption from professional tax for the first 15 years;
• Exemption from urban tax for the first 15 years;
• Exemption from participation in national solidarity;
• Exemption from tax on income from corporate rights, dividends and similar income for non-residents and a reduction in tax to 7.5% for residents;

Customs benefits:

• Exemption from import duties, and simplified customs procedures;
• Unlimited exemption from value added tax in respect of products delivered and services supplied to the free export zones and from the subjected territory;

Administrative facilitations:

• Exemption from registration fees and stamp duty on instruments of incorporation or increases in the capital of the company, as well as on land acquisitions;
• The establishment of a one-stop service to the investor.