Federation of medium-sized enterprises calls for revision of draft charter

The federation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) on Wednesday voiced rejection of the draft charter on SME and called for a thorough revision of the text.

"The contents of the draft charter are disappointing and must be reconsidered in a substantial way," said Adnan Debagh, the chairman of the federation, affiliated to the Moroccan employers' association La Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM).

Several provisions of the text might become obsolete in few months, he said at a press briefing in Casablanca Wednesday. He added that the charter is not matching the evolution and orientation of economic action in the country and needs an earnest revision, in consultation with concerned sides.

The charter has not taken in to account the conclusions and proposals mentioned in the white book that was compiled by academics and economic operators. According to the federation, the book is a good synthesis and a sound diagnosis of the situation of SME and proposes a series of concrete fiscal and financial measures to promote the action of SME, consolidate their own funds and improve their framing.

Debagh insisted that instead of a simple, highly qualified structure for the SME, the draft charter provides for the creation of an agency for SME, which is a heavy, bureaucratic, structure, requiring human, material and financial means.

The federation sees there is no need to set up such an agency as other structures like the federation and the chambers of commerce already exist and others like the economic and social council will be set up shortly. The federation deplores that 15 articles out of the 37 of the charter are devoted to institutional aspects.

SME represent 95 % of Morocco's economic fabric and play a key role in the country's economic and social take off and in generating jobs in all modern and traditional sectors of activity.