The new TPME charter, launched in April by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to reinforce the competitiveness and resilience of small businesses, is facing growing criticism from business professionals who say it does not reflect the realities of Morocco’s business ecosystem and would cover only about 0.02% of the country’s business fabric.
In a statement, the Moroccan Confederation of Very Small, Small, and Medium Enterprises questioned its real impact, describing it as limited given the size of the entrepreneurial sector.
The pact targets around 800 companies per year, compared to more than 4 million very small businesses and thousands of SMEs.
The Confederation said the planned intervention would cover only 0.02% of the sector, a share it considers far too low given the challenges facing small businesses.
Main axes of the TPME charter
The TPME charter, overseen by the National Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (Maroc PME), is part of a 2026–2030 state-agency framework.
It is built around four pillars: structuring, resilience, competitiveness, and growth to strengthen SMEs and support their development across all stages.
The first pillar focuses on SME development both locally and internationally. The second centers on resilience, helping businesses navigate periods of difficulty.
The third targets competitiveness through quality, cost efficiency, and innovation. The fourth focuses on equipping SMEs with management tools and platforms to improve governance and operations.
Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour said the current phase requires a shift in approach, moving from job creation alone to value and wealth creation to generate more qualified employment.
Main concerns over the TPME charter
The Confederation emphasized that the measure is marginal statistically, arguing it does not match either the economic urgency or the scale of communication around its launch.
It said that although authorities highlight nationwide coverage across 12 regions, support in practice remains limited to a small number of already structured firms.
It also said that the charter sidelines very small businesses and repeats the same problems as the “Forsa” program.
The Confederation said it was not part of the preparation and governance of the pact and denounced the participation of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) in the early stages of the design and monitoring of the pact.
This reflects an institutional imbalance in how small-business policies are designed, it said, noting the ministry in charge of small enterprises was either absent or marginalized during the pact’s preparation, while other departments, including the Ministry of Tourism, were involved.
It also argued that “involving a secondary ministry instead of the department responsible for small businesses reflects a dysfunction in policy direction, deepens institutional exclusion, and exposes contradictions within government action.”
The Confederation called for a review of the program, including the involvement of SME representative bodies in governance and a redirection of support towards more vulnerable businesses.
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