The cultural and creative industries (ICC) have today become a real boon for Morocco, said Wednesday in Rabat, the president of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), Chakib Alj.
Speaking at the opening of the second edition of the Assises des ICC, organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Federation of Cultural and Creative Industries of the CGEM, with the support of the Union European Union in Morocco, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Mr. Alj stressed that their development is both a response to economic challenges and a driver of social transformation and sustainable development. He also highlighted the current dynamic at the national level which offers very promising prospects, estimating that “the future of our young people, our heritage and our economy depends on our abilities to collectively benefit from these opportunities. “. In this regard, the president of the CGEM considered it imperative to promote Moroccan cultural diplomacy, constituting a strategic vector to strengthen Morocco’s presence on the international scene and promote intercultural exchanges. Highlighting the potential of this sector, as a lever for economic, social and societal development, Mr. Alj recalled that CCIs are recording sustained growth around the world.
The ICCs, which strongly appeal to young people, generate more than 2,000 billion dollars in revenue, employ nearly 50 million people and position themselves as the largest employer of young people between 16 and 30 years old, he said, estimating that it is a real response to the issues linked to job creation. In Morocco, the ICCs would only contribute around 0.5% to the gross domestic product (GDP), he noted, calling in this sense to act to achieve the objective set by the New development model for ICC, which is 1% of GDP, and to double or even triple jobs in these sectors by 2035. To encourage investments and entrepreneurship in ICCs and strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs operating in these sectors, Mr. Alj advocated new financing mechanisms, a favorable tax framework and the development of human capital. For the Ambassador of the European Union to Morocco, Patricia Llombart Cussac, this second edition is a strategic meeting both for Morocco and for players in this sector.
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“Acting for culture in the world where we live means taking sides in favor of exchange, openness, recognition, respect and admiration beyond hate speech”she said. She noted that this event also offers the opportunity for the EU to reaffirm, with Morocco, the shared vision on mobilization for job creation and wealth through culture, highlighting the potential of an industry in full expansion on a global scale.
In this sense, the ambassador noted that in Africa, the figures revealed by UNESCO this year show that cinema and audiovisual represents more than 5 billion euros, noting that the current dynamic in the Kingdom is unprecedented thanks to the ambition of HM King Mohammed VI.
She also highlighted the concrete results of this dynamic with so many cultural events, including music, literature and various expressions by Moroccan youth.
For his part, the Director General of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop, noted that more than 2.5 million people work in the creative industries in Africa, stressing that the potential in terms of employment is good. more important.
At the IFC, he said, “we have made it one of our priorities”, recalling the appointment of a coordinator for the creative industries in Africa.
Mr. Diop also emphasized the need for continued collaboration with all players in the sector, adding that the ecosystem that is being built in Morocco in terms of training, infrastructure and of job creation constitutes a good lever to develop creative industries and make the Kingdom the investment destination for those interested in this sector.
At the end of the opening ceremony, an agreement was signed between the Managing Director of Tamwilcom, Hicham Zanati Serghini, and the Maghreb regional representative of the IFC, David Tinel. A partnership which is divided into three stages, namely a market study to better understand the needs and opportunities of the sectors, a technical assistance program and a financing offer.
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