Economic experts have stressed the urgent need for new and more effective initiatives to enhance Morocco’s economic landscape, particularly through integrating informal activities into the formal sector.
This move is seen as crucial to easing the burden of the shadow economy, which continues to represent a significant challenge.
Morocco remains among the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in terms of the proportion of individuals engaged in informal economic activities, with official national statistics indicating that nearly 67% of the workforce operates outside the formal sector.
The impact of the informal economy becomes particularly evident during Ramadan, a period that sees a surge in commercial and service activities, many of which remain untaxed and unregulated.
Government officials have acknowledged the negative consequences of the informal economy, noting that it neither supports social development nor contributes to state revenues. However, analysts argue that previous reform programs have fallen short of their intended objectives.
Economic analyst Badr Zaher Azraq warned that the scale of the informal economy in Morocco has reached alarming levels, accounting for nearly 70% of the active workforce. He emphasized that integrating these informal activities is not an easy task, given that they provide employment for millions. Despite various government measures, including the introduction of the self-employment program, which has helped formalize the activities of approximately 350,000 individuals, the issue remains unresolved.
Azraq highlighted that while tax incentives and simplified tax contributions have been proposed, these measures require further development and refinement. He urged the government to adopt new strategies for the swift integration of the informal sector, emphasizing that its persistence imposes heavy tax burdens on other economic actors.
For his part, economic expert Idriss Al-Issaoui pointed out that informal businesses do not adhere to the same obligations as their formal counterparts, particularly regarding social security contributions and tax payments. He argued that formalizing these activities would not only generate significant tax revenue for the state but also improve the sustainability of public services and enhance economic development.
Al-Issaoui further stressed that addressing the informal economy is not solely the responsibility of the government; professionals across various sectors must also demonstrate a willingness to transition into the formal economy. He called for decisive action to overcome resistance to formalization, which he sees as a key step in ensuring higher economic efficiency and improved service quality for Moroccan citizens.
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