The Forsa program came under fire on Monday in the House of Representatives during the oral question session, with parliamentarians accusing it of “plunging young Moroccans into debt and leaving many on the brink of imprisonment and legal proceedings due to the failure to deliver promised funding despite project approvals.”
They attributed the program’s failure to a combination of factors, including “the outsourcing of its management to the Moroccan Tourist Engineering Company, the inadequacy of the loan amounts provided to beneficiaries, and the lack of keeping up with their projects,” criticisms which Tourism Minister Fatima Zahra Ammour vehemently rejected, supporting her stance with statistics and data that underscore the program’s significant success.
In this regard, Rim Chabat, a member of the Democratic Forces Front party, stated that “hundreds of Moroccan youth, approved for 10 million centimes in funding for their projects by financial institutions, banks, and the selection committee, were given false hope as they never received the promised funds.”
She highlighted that “these individuals now face the threat of imprisonment and legal action due to the debts they incurred for rent, taxes, and subscriptions as a result of the delayed funding.”
Chabat added that “some victims submitted their applications to the relevant authorities back in 2022, but they still haven’t received any funding, while many projects from youths who applied the following year were financed, raising serious questions.”
She argued that “asking the affected individuals to move their applications to the Intilaka program is an implicit admission of the Forsa program’s failure,” and called for “justice for these victims and the prompt release of funding for their projects.”
For his part, Ibrahim Ouaabi, a member of the Haraki group in the House of Representatives, “criticized the Forsa program for its management by the National Company for Tourism Engineering and the lack of effective planning to target deserving groups.”
He called the “loan amount of 90,000 MAD inadequate for sustainable projects and noted that most beneficiaries have faced bankruptcy due to insufficient support, urging the ministry to disclose the success rates of businesses that benefited from the program versus those that failed.”
In response, the Minister of Tourism defended the Forsa program, stating that “all projects receiving funding benefit from two years of support and oversight from incubator companies or funding institutions after securing financing.
She stressed that “most entrepreneurs’ challenges lie not in getting funding but in effectively executing and succeeding with their projects.”
The minister also pointed out that “the program has created 37,000 jobs, with 44% going to women, and noted that it exceeded its goal of funding 20,000 project holders in 2022 and 2023 by supporting over 1,200 additional projects.”
She mentioned that “the percentage of projects in rural communities and small towns benefiting from the program rose from 60% in 2022 to 70% in 2023.”
Ammour reported that “the tourism sector has achieved record results this year, with 13.1 million tourists visiting Morocco in the first nine months of 2024, an increase of two million from the same period last year.”
She said that “the sector generated 76.4 billion MAD in foreign currency earnings by September, up 7%, and recorded 21 million overnight stays, reflecting a 10% rise,” attributing “this success to the implementation of the 2023-2026 tourism roadmap, with contracts signed in 8 regions and support programs like CAP HOSPITALITY, which covers loan interest, and the Go Tourism program, which has benefited 256 projects.”
The Minister projected that “investment in tourist accommodation will reach 8 billion MAD, with 7,700 new beds expected by year-end, and expressed optimism that Morocco will exceed 16.5 million tourists in 2024.”
She highlighted “significant progress in developing air transport under the 2023-2026 plan, noting that partnerships increased air travel capacity by 37% in 2023 and introduced new routes like Marrakech-Montreal and Marrakech-New York. Additionally, a committee was formed, including the ministry, the National Tourism Office, and the National Airports Office, to ensure effective coordination.”
On the marketing front, Ammour noted that “the office has formed partnerships with travel organizers, securing contracts for two million travelers—a 49% increase in 2024 compared to 2023. They also launched extensive promotional campaigns and participated in events like the International Tourism Fair in Tokyo 2024, winning awards at various exhibitions.”
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