The Importance of Cooperatives in Promoting Self-Employment
30 June 2012
Read by 2542 persons
The solidarity-based economy, notably represented by cooperatives, is a tool for the democratization of the economy and the integration of small entrepreneurs into the economic system, the Minister Delegate for General Affairs and Governance, Mohamed Najib Boulif, affirmed Wednesday in Tangier.
Speaking at a national communication meeting on the occasion of World Cooperative Day and the International Year of Cooperatives, organized by the Office of Cooperative Development, Boulif indicated that the international community is increasingly aware of the importance of this mode of economic association to support growth and create jobs, in a global economic context marked by recurring crises.
The government has made the promotion of cooperatives one of its priorities in the field of socio-economic development, the minister noted, specifying that several measures will be taken to simplify creation procedures, improve the institutional climate and access to financing, and enhance the cooperative product.
He also highlighted the importance of cooperatives in promoting self-employment, the theme of this national meeting, emphasizing that the state alone cannot guarantee jobs and that cooperatives are a means of combating unemployment by capitalizing on the talent and abilities of young people.
Morocco currently has nearly 10,000 cooperatives bringing together some 400,000 cooperative producers, Boulif said, adding that this figure continues to grow with the creation of around 100 new cooperatives per month, which promises a bright future for the national solidarity economy, knowing that it most often uses environmentally friendly production techniques.
For his part, the director of the Office of Cooperative Development, Abdelkader Alami, emphasized the increase in the number of cooperatives in Morocco, from 2,000 in 2004 to nearly 10,000 today, as well as the diversification of their activities, which are no longer limited to agriculture and crafts but are investing in other sectors, such as services, IT, training and education.
More than 1,500 cooperatives have been created by women and more than 300 by young graduates, he noted, however pointing out that cooperatives only represent 3% of the active population, a percentage that the state plans to increase to 7% by 2016.
Alami also highlighted the new Mourafaka program, set up as part of the 2010-2020 social economy promotion strategy, which aims to support the post-creation of newly created cooperatives, through improving their governance, optimizing production processes and adapting products to the requirements of the national and international market.
This day celebrating World Cooperative Day and the International Year of Cooperatives was marked by the inauguration by Boulif of the 1st edition of the Traveling Markets for social and solidarity economy products in the Tangier-Tetouan region, held under the theme "The social economy, a lever for local development", with the participation of around sixty cooperatives from the region.
It should be noted that the Tangier-Tetouan region is in 2nd position nationally in terms of the number of cooperatives created, which reached, until the end of May 2012, some 926 cooperatives, 72.7% of which operate in the agricultural sector.
MAP
Maghrebemergent.info
Published June 29, 2012.
Posted online June 30, 2012.
Speaking at a national communication meeting on the occasion of World Cooperative Day and the International Year of Cooperatives, organized by the Office of Cooperative Development, Boulif indicated that the international community is increasingly aware of the importance of this mode of economic association to support growth and create jobs, in a global economic context marked by recurring crises.
The government has made the promotion of cooperatives one of its priorities in the field of socio-economic development, the minister noted, specifying that several measures will be taken to simplify creation procedures, improve the institutional climate and access to financing, and enhance the cooperative product.
He also highlighted the importance of cooperatives in promoting self-employment, the theme of this national meeting, emphasizing that the state alone cannot guarantee jobs and that cooperatives are a means of combating unemployment by capitalizing on the talent and abilities of young people.
Morocco currently has nearly 10,000 cooperatives bringing together some 400,000 cooperative producers, Boulif said, adding that this figure continues to grow with the creation of around 100 new cooperatives per month, which promises a bright future for the national solidarity economy, knowing that it most often uses environmentally friendly production techniques.
For his part, the director of the Office of Cooperative Development, Abdelkader Alami, emphasized the increase in the number of cooperatives in Morocco, from 2,000 in 2004 to nearly 10,000 today, as well as the diversification of their activities, which are no longer limited to agriculture and crafts but are investing in other sectors, such as services, IT, training and education.
More than 1,500 cooperatives have been created by women and more than 300 by young graduates, he noted, however pointing out that cooperatives only represent 3% of the active population, a percentage that the state plans to increase to 7% by 2016.
Alami also highlighted the new Mourafaka program, set up as part of the 2010-2020 social economy promotion strategy, which aims to support the post-creation of newly created cooperatives, through improving their governance, optimizing production processes and adapting products to the requirements of the national and international market.
This day celebrating World Cooperative Day and the International Year of Cooperatives was marked by the inauguration by Boulif of the 1st edition of the Traveling Markets for social and solidarity economy products in the Tangier-Tetouan region, held under the theme "The social economy, a lever for local development", with the participation of around sixty cooperatives from the region.
It should be noted that the Tangier-Tetouan region is in 2nd position nationally in terms of the number of cooperatives created, which reached, until the end of May 2012, some 926 cooperatives, 72.7% of which operate in the agricultural sector.
MAP
Maghrebemergent.info
Published June 29, 2012.
Posted online June 30, 2012.
