Mohamed Sajid succeeded in passing a bill that will impose structure on the handicraft sector in Morocco.
Rabat – The minister of tourism, air transport, handicrafts, and social economy, Mohamed Sajid, has finally convinced Morocco’s governing council to pass a bill to regulate handicrafts in Morocco.
The handicraft industry employs almost 2.3 million people in Morocco, making up 20 percent of the labor force. The trade contributes 7 percent of Morocco’s GDP. The craft sector has long existed without a modern legal framework. Sajid and other politicians attribute the sector’s disorganization and perceived loss in quality to the lack of such a framework.
The new bill aims to strengthen the regulatory and institutional framework of the sector. It also allows craftsmen to benefit from the pension system and mandatory health insurance (AMO).
Sajid hopes to implement the bill as quickly as possible.
Most significantly, it creates a single national register of artisans which would exist on a government-created website. The single register would facilitate registration and collect data regarding the handicraft sector.
The bill would require all artisans, cooperatives, or companies to register with the national database. Each practicing artisan who registers will receive professional identification. To receive an identification card, they must submit a diploma from a training institute or a certificate from the provincial professional body which represents that artisan’s trade.
The bill proposes the formation of professional blocs on the local, provincial, regional, and national levels. Such bodies would exist for each trade. The groups would intend to act as partners in local development by improving relationships with local vendors and more effectively collecting information.
The bill would also reorganize the National Council of Crafts to help it better act as an advisory institution which could work in the interest of the handicraft industry. The council would work to guarantee safety and health criteria as well as building the capacity of artisans to meet challenges posed by foreign markets.
Public administration and institutions will be strongly encouraged to give craft products priority in their purchasing operations. The new law seeks to improve collaboration and organization among various actors within the handicraft industry as well as with the government.
