| Nabil Kharroubi, Director
of the Center of Regional Investment (CRI) for the
Rabat-Sale Region, is a soft-spoken man whose every
idea speaks volumes on the future of Morocco. An MBA
graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Kharroubi
is emblematic of the new generation taking the reins
of political and commercial leadership in Morocco.
Kharroubi’s position, as well as those in each
of sixteen wilayets (state or administrative region)
of Morocco, had its genesis in a January 2002 letter
written to the Prime Minister by His Majesty King
Mohammed VI. His Majesty’s innovative strategy
was twofold: to position these Centers throughout
the Kingdom in order to become more closely attuned
to the particular needs and requirements of each region,
and as well as to provide streamlined investor services
to foreign corporations interested in investing in
Morocco.
Each of the CRI’s has three responsibilities.
They assist businesses interested in setting up shop
in Morocco by cutting through the heretofore onerous
and time-consuming administrative procedures required
by the government, a task that often took up to six
months. Success in this task is now measured in days.
The CRI’s then stay with the new business, providing
a “one stop shop” of advisory, follow-up
and informational services. Finally, each Center is
responsible for knowing the weaknesses and constraints,
as well as the advantages and potential, of their
region, and how best to promote the strengths and
address the problems.
There are four top priorities for development in the
Rabat-Sale region covered by Kharroubi. First, the
vertical integration of the textile industry is essential
in order to increase the production of value-added
goods and thus create more local jobs and income,
as well as profits to the owners. Second, technology
must be utilized in order to increase the efficiency
and competitiveness of industry in Morocco. The housing
sector is also a priority because of the pressing
need for affordable living space for working families
in Morocco. Finally the Center addresses the need
to bring more tourists into the Rabat-Sale region
as a part of the nationwide plan to dramatically increase
tourism to Morocco in the next few years.
Kharroubi believes the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement
“will greatly benefit Morocco.” New American
partners and investment will enable Moroccan businesses
to diversify their production. Moroccan companies
will be able to find niches in the American market
that will enable them to flourish. He listed tour
operators and agricultural concerns as primary examples.
Because most American businesses are ignorant of such
basics as Morocco’s geographic location, according
to Kharroubi, any marketing by Moroccan companies
should be targeted to specific markets in the United
States. Advertisements showing New Yorkers that Marrakech
is as close to them by air as Las Vegas would be a
practical application of this concept in the tourism
sector.
By informing American companies that Morocco is an
excellent location to expand their business into the
EU and Africa, it should not be hard to convince them
that Morocco is a land where “you can do business
and make a profit,” according to Kharroubi. He
stressed that while outside investment is critical
to Morocco’s long-term growth, the country has
learned through experience the importance of choosing
the right investors. In the past, each investment
made in Morocco “was more than welcome,”
but now “other considerations are taken into
account.”
Issues of technology importation, environmental impact
and corporate citizenship are now determining factors
in whether a particular investment is right for Morocco.
It is crucial that the government select only those
companies that will be able to provide the Moroccan
people with what they need. Long gone are the days
when government officials asked “How much money
will you invest?” The issues facing Morocco today
are much more important than making money for the
sake of money alone.
One innovative idea is the creation of synergies between
cities in Morocco and states in the U.S. For example,
Kharroubi explained that the textile industries of
the Rabat-Sale region and in North Carolina could
provide a platform for possible partnerships. A pairing
of Marrakech with Nevada could open up immense potential
for entrepreneurs in both countries.
The future is dependent upon infusing the young people
of Morocco with a desire to take advantage of the
rapidly expanding opportunities beginning to take
shape around them. Kharroubi stated that Moroccans
must be taught that English fluency is critical to
success in business; it is Morocco’s young who
are filling up English language classrooms throughout
the country today, rushing to quench their thirst
for a better tomorrow. |
