Italy-Morocco Association’s concrete business revival ideas
(ANSAmed) – ROME, FEBRUARY 29 – Economic revival and the strengthening of economic ties between Italy and Morocco were the key issues at the launch of the multilateral conference organised by the Italy-Morocco Association in Rome this morning.
The event was held at the offices of the Italian Federation of Organisations for Consortia and Industrialisation (FICEI). At a time of serious recession, Italy cannot afford not to look at the southern shores of the Mediterranean, and in particular a country such as Morocco, which is one of the most stable in the region, with a balanced industrial sector and predicted GDP growth of around 4% for 2012. “This is an unthinkable percentage at the moment, both for Italy and for Europe,” said the president of Simest, Giancarlo Lanna. Small and medium-sized businesses in Italy, particularly those with a technological edge, could be interested in investing in Morocco, and it is they who hold the key to Italy’s economic recovery. “Without our SMEs, Italy will not pull through,” Lanna said.
The Moroccan ambassador in Rome, Hassan Abouyoub, pointed out that his country is one of the most business-friendly in North Africa and that “trade relations between our two countries leave plenty of space for growth for Italian businesses that want to operate on our market”. “Few people know, for example, that there will be no more customs barriers between Italy and Morocco from March 1,” he added.
One of the main aspects that needs to change, though, is the way of working towards reviving partnerships. “Less officialdom and more efficiency,” say the Italy-Morocco Association and the Isiamed Institute, who together sponsored the meeting.
Moroccan institutions in Italy are fully prepared to assist Italian investors, as Yasmina Sbihi, the Rome representative of the Moroccan Agency for Investment Development (AMDI), pointed out. “The agency has its headquarters in Rabat, but has also opened offices in Spain, France, the UK and the USA,” she said. “This is a sign that the kingdom is continuing its efforts to promote the country in various regions across the world”.
A number of proposals were made during the meeting, which was attended by a number of entrepreneurs and representatives of the region’s economic framework. Schemes suggested include the “cluster approach”, based on the construction of networks between SMEs in different sectors, from tourism to energy, from cars to the bionic industry, security systems, transport or logistics. Regions can and must contribute significantly to these methods. “They should do their bit, because they also have competition powers in trade circles,” Lanna said.
“To set all this in motion,” ambassador Abouyoub concluded, action must be taken alone. “The Italian Foreign Ministry has no more money to put into the Moroccan system and we must turn to other institutions”. (ANSAmed).
