The Minister of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy, Mr. Moulay Hafid Elalamy, received on Monday 5 October 2015 in Casablanca, the new presidents of the regional chambers of commerce, industry and services (CCIS).

This meeting, which took place after the elections in Morocco, was an opportunity for mutual exchange in order to come up with a shared vision and an operational roadmap for repositioning these institutions as agents of local and regional development, so that they can fully play their role as the operational arm for the local deployment of sectorial strategies and support programmes and catalyst for the regionalisation of economic development programs.

The Minister Mr. Elalamy recalled in this respect the signing of the master agreement between the Government and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services, in April 2014. The aim of this agreement is to improve the legal and regulatory framework regulating the chambers and the elaboration of the development plans which constitute the basis of the contracts programmes to be concluded with these institutions and the Federation.

On this point, Mr. Elalamy highlighted the early benefits, including the establishment of legal and regulatory provisions by the Government, in preparation for the elections of professional chambers on 7 August 2015, in view of improving the representativeness and transparency of the decisions taken by the General Assembly (electoral code, regulations for CCIS (Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services), regionalisation decree …).and the launch by the Ministry, in collaboration with the Federation, of a conception study for reform project.

The reform project is based on five main axes, namely: the regionalisation and sharing of resources by the chambers in order to strengthen their position; the establishment of a transparent and effective governance model; developing an income-generating offer focused on customers’ needs; establishing a more effective administrative structure; repositioning the Federation as a support and coordination body.

The transformation programme for the Chambers and Federation resulting from this study will be executed within the framework of an implementation agreement to be concluded with the concerned parties. It includes institutional projects supported by the public authorities (adoption of a new organisational chart, review the staff regulations, adoption a charter for elected officials, establishment of a new process for mastering deadlines for signing CCIS budgets, …) and operational projects that will be carried out by the Chambers under the supervision of the Federation (establishment of rules of good governance, creation of a new service catalogue including services of general and competitive interest meeting the needs of citizens and the promotion of regional development, strengthening the financial autonomy of the Chambers, …).

The minister stressed in this respect the necessity of the effective involvement of the Chamber to ensure a successful implementation of such transformation programmes and underlined the important role that the Federation must play in this respect, as the main spokesperson of the Government authorities, but also as a service centre for coordination and sharing of best practices for the benefit of the Chambers.

He further confirmed the Government's commitment to lead this reform project, essentially through a system of support and funding for the Federation and the Chambers, allowing them to effectively complete their transformation plans. “We are all the more convinced that these transformation projects must be successfully completed, that His Majesty the King, may God Assist Him, called for the establishment of a new design making the Chambers a true lever for productive investment”, stressed Mr. Elalamy.