Rabat – Secretary of State to the Minister of Industry, Omar Hjira, has stressed the importance of urging small neighborhood shopkeepers to deploy digital options, including mobile and card transactions.
“Today, it is not allowed for merchants, including moul hanout, to tell a tourist that they don’t accept or don’t have an ATM system,” Hjira said on Monday in a parliament session.
He backed his argument by citing online payments’ contribution to Morocco’s economy.
“In 2023, electronic payments in Morocco reached MAD 57 billion,” Hjira said, noting that the digitalization of payments could unlock an additional MAD 166 billion in transactions.
The Moroccan official made his remarks while acknowledging the challenges that small shopkeepers face amid the expansion of giant retailers across Morocco.
“New solutions must be introduced to support moul hanout face this competition,” Hjira added, stressing that Morocco is hosting prestigious events that need vigilance and a good mobilization, including the 2030 World Cup.
Hjira also emphasized the importance of small shops, not only because of their contribution to the local economy but also their fundamental part of Morocco’s cultural identity.
But he warned against the fierce competition that large retail chains are imposing on moul hanout.
Moroccan MP Nadia Bzendfa echoed the official’s remarks, stressing the vital role of Moroccan shopkeepers. She highlighted the support moul hanout continues to provide to vulnerable families, pointing out that these neighborhood shops often sell goods on credit and even lend cash to families in need.
The MP also warned of the ongoing “unfair” competition posed by retail chains, noting that these giants are now expanding into local neighborhoods, where shopkeepers were once the only source of goods and support for the community.
In March, a new Mastercard-commissioned report said Africa’s digital payments economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.
Morocco has been witnessing a rapid trend in the use of digital payment options.
Mastercard’s Payment Index of 2022 shows that 75% of consumers in Morocco had used at least one emerging payment method in the year before, noting that 24% used a digital money transfer app, while 20% used a tappable smartphone mobile wallet.
As little as 10% of consumers used a Buy Now Pay Later installment plan.
