Moulay Hafid Elalamy - Afrikan Heroes

Morocco Launches Tarwir — Startup, To Cover 30% Of The Investment Needs Of Selected Startups

February 16, 2021

Morocco has been making waves in North Africa when it comes to startup development in recent times. Apart from recently passing into law a bill that will allow startups in the country raise funds from the public, the country has just launched another initiative called “Tatwir — Startup” to support startups working towards the industrialisation of the north African country. Launched in Rabat by Moulay Hafid Elalamy, the country’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy, “Tatwir — Startup is part of the deployment of the Industrial Recovery Plan 2021–2023 which, among other things, aims to develop innovative, industrial and high value-added service projects led by startups.

Moulay Hafid Elalamy, the country’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy

Here Is What You Need To Know

The initiative has already taken effect, and will be executed through a partnership between the Minister of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy, the National Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (Morocco SME Agency) and Federation of the Startup Ecosystem of Morocco (MSEC).

The “Tatwir — Startup” initiative, designed by Agence Maroc PME and the MSEC, will offer intensive support for startup projects ranging from idea to industrialization through the various phases of development and incubation.

Particularly, the initiative will cover the following areas:

Pre-incubation

This stage will include the selection of innovative ideas. It will assist through structuring of their ideas and will be accomplished through dedicated workshops organized by the incubators. The objective of this phase is to support 5,000 startup project leaders over a period of 3 years.

Incubation

This stage will support startups project leaders to transform their ideas into viable projects. This support will continue until the startups fully take off. The objective of this phase is to support 300 startup project leaders over a period of 3 years.

Investment

Under this phase, the partnership will ensure that it covers 30% of the tangible and intangible investment needs of the selected startups.

How To Get Started

Interested startup project leaders are invited to complete the online application form available at the following address: Tatwir-Startup — Maroc PME registration form.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Tatwir — Startup Morocco Tatwir — Startup Morocco

Morocco Urges the Promotion of Local Vehicle Production

February 14, 2021

The Moroccan Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy has called for scaling up in production, and mass support for locally produced vehicles. He highlighted the importance of promoting local industrial manufacturing stressing the need to develop industrial vehicle structures, citing Morocco’s “great economic potential.”

Elalamy expressed satisfaction with Morocco’s expertise and highly skilled employees in the field. The official made his remarks during his presence at Spain’s Irizar industrial unit in Skhirat, near Rabat. The Spanish company is in charge of producing urban transport buses in Casablanca. Elalamy said that the rate of local integration of Irizar buses has reached 41% and that efforts are targeting 60% in the long term. “Promoting local products is a source of pride for Morocco,” he said.

He also emphasized that such a sector creates jobs, allowing Morocco to strengthen its position in the “vital” industrial branch. Last year, Elalmay made the same remarks, hoping to see all buses operating in Morocco manufactured in Morocco by Moroccan workers. Director of Irizar Morocco Mohamed Abuchane said the meeting with the minister is part of the delivery of the second batch of buses to the benefit of the city of Casablanca. He said that “these yellow-colored buses that just left the factory meet international standards and are equipped with all the characteristics and features that ensure the comfort of passengers.”

Abuchane added that the new buses are equipped with 33 seats, wheelchair ramps, and specific places for people with special needs. The new buses are set to go operational on Monday, February 15. The fleet is composed of 700 buses, including 450 brand new ones.

Irizar manufactured the buses using chassis by Swedish company Scania. The upgrade of Casablanca’s bus fleet comes after the city’s inhabitants expressed dissatisfaction with the services provided by M’dina Bus, the company that managed buses in Casablanca from 2004 to 2019.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Morocco to Expand Local Industry, Save $4.5 Billion in Imports

July 11, 2020

Efforts aimed at saving its local industry has driven Morocco to kickoff an ambitious plan that would turn the country into a global power in various industrial sectors such as the automotive industry. According to the minister of industry, Morocco’s automotive industry is one of the most competitive in the world.

Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy

This the Moroccan government believes could save MAD 43 billion ($4.45 billion) by strengthening its domestic manufacturing capacity and reducing imports, Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy announced.

“We import MAD 43 billion of products that could be made in Morocco in the upcoming years,” Elalamy said during a parliamentary session at the House of Representatives on July 6. According to the minister, with an investment of MAD 22 billion ($2.28 billion), Moroccan industry can meet the domestic demand for some imported products, significantly reducing Morocco’s foreign expenses.

“We have business plans and we know precisely what we need to do to stop importing [the products]. We will work on this in the upcoming weeks and we will launch the project, addressing it to Moroccan youth and investors,” Elalamy said.

During the parliamentary session, the minister discussed his department’s post-COVID-19 strategy, emphasizing that while the industry sector is still recovering, it has many opportunities to grasp. At the end of April, Moroccan industry recorded a 30% decrease in revenue compared to the same period in 2019. By the end of June, the annual decline was at 20%. In terms of foreign trade, activity decreased by 20% between April 2019 and April 2020. At the end of June 2020, the decline stood at 15%.

“The impacts of the [COVID-19] crisis are very significant, but we hope that, in the near future, opportunities will allow us to rebound,” Elalamy said. According to him, new opportunities have emerged thanks to the mutating international economic context amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During this crisis, all countries became aware of the particular trade relation they have with China. A majority of products in the health sector, such as medical masks, ventilators, and other products are imported from China, so many countries are thinking about diversifying their trade relations and not have China as a sole partner,” Elalamy explained.

A second mutation, according to the minister, is the increasing cost of labor in China, which would push businesses to look for workforce elsewhere. “The competitiveness of China is currently in decline. The minimum salary in China, which once was $100, is today at $700 and will reach $1,500,” Elalamy predicted.

Finally, the third mutation is the growing global awareness about climate change and the transition towards clean energies.“Several countries in Europe have taken the decision to put in place a new tax on imported products—a carbon tax. It is applied to all products manufactured with energies that are not renewable,” Elalamy said.

“Thankfully, we have renewable energies in Morocco. We are working on an important project that will allow the Moroccan industry to use renewable energy in the future to improve its competitiveness,” he continued. The Moroccan minister gave the example of the automotive industry to illustrate Morocco’s efforts to improve its international competitiveness.

“Today, there are only two countries that have better competitiveness [in the automotive industry] than Morocco. They are China and India. We have overtaken Eastern Europe, Turkey, and other countries, and only China and India are left,” he said. “We have a strategy that would allow Morocco, in the upcoming two years, to have the same level of competitiveness as India, through utilizing renewable energy and bypassing carbon taxes,” Elalamy concluded.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry