Trade: Signing of Two Agreements to Accelerate Sector Modernization

Two memoranda of understanding aimed at upgrading the trade sector and strengthening its modernization were signed on Monday in Marrakech, as part of ongoing efforts to digitize the sector and enhance its competitiveness.

Signed on the sidelines of the National Trade Forum, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, these memoranda fall within a participatory approach involving the public sector, public institutions, and the private sector, with the objective of laying the operational foundations for upgrading the trade sector and giving concrete form to strategic programs and visions.

The first memorandum of understanding, signed by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour; the Director General of the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), Abdellah Ahouich; and the Director General of One Retail, Hicham Kettani, aims to establish an operational partnership to support the development of the trade sector. This will be achieved through the creation of qualified and sustainable jobs, the development of training programs tailored to labor market needs, and the mobilization of employment and training support mechanisms.

The second memorandum of understanding, concerning a partnership dedicated to supporting the digitalization of neighborhood retail, was signed by Ryad Mezzour; the Chairman of the Management Board of Barid Bank, Al Amine Nejjar; the Director General of Barid Cash, Mohamed Adil Chraibi; and the Chairman and CEO of the Chari.ma platform, Ismail Belkhayat.

This partnership seeks to accelerate the integration of traders into the digital and financial ecosystem, notably by enabling nearly 100,000 neighborhood retailers to adopt electronic payment methods and access digital management and payment solutions, while also developing tailored financial services.

In a statement to the press, the Director of Domestic Trade and Distribution at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Abdelilah Boutaybi, indicated that the signing of these memoranda of understanding illustrates the new momentum currently characterizing domestic trade, based on strengthening partnerships between public and private stakeholders.

He added that this momentum will contribute to the emergence of a more structured and efficient trade sector, capable of creating value and employment, while promoting the integration of traders—particularly neighborhood retailers—into the modern economy.

Organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in partnership with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services and professional traders’ associations, under the theme “Morocco’s Trade 2030,” the forum serves as a national platform to highlight transformations within the sector and to strengthen dialogue among various economic and institutional stakeholders.