HIBAPRESS – Rabat
In the context of preparing for the 2026 elections, the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS) responded to the memorandum sent by the Moroccan Confederation of Very Small, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CGEM) to political parties, presenting a wide range of proposals aimed at improving the business environment, facilitating access to finance, and alleviating the tax and administrative burden on businesses.
The party affirmed that it shares with the Confederation its diagnosis of the difficulties facing this economic fabric, especially regarding the difficulty of obtaining bank financing and access to public contracts, in addition to tax pressure and unfair competition imposed by the informal economy.
The party believes, according to the document it sent to the President of the Confederation, that supporting very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises is a core focus of its government program for the period 2027-2031, which it presented on September 2nd.
Tax Reform to Alleviate the Burden on Businesses
Among the proposed measures, the Progress and Socialism Party proposes reviewing a number of tax rules that affect small businesses.
The party proposes reducing the corporate tax to 10% for very small businesses whose profits do not exceed 500,000 dirhams, as well as calculating the tax exemption period granted to industrial enterprises starting from the first year in which profits are realized.
It also calls for generalizing the right to deduct value-added tax and addressing the issue related to the accumulation of VAT credits, as well as reviewing the basis for calculating the professional tax and linking it to the activity result rather than the rental value and investments.
The proposals also include reducing registration fees, reconsidering parafiscal taxes, and establishing regional tax intermediaries to amicably resolve disputes between the administration and businesses.
The party also proposes setting a time limit of no more than three months for the refund of amounts due from withholding tax, with the imposition of late payment interest in favor of the taxpayer if this deadline is exceeded.
40% of Loans for Small Businesses
In terms of financing, the party proposes a goal to increase the share of bank loans directed to very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises to 40% of total bank loans.
It also proposes increasing the credit line for equipment loans directed to manufacturing industries to 100 billion dirhams by 2031, compared to 26.8 billion dirhams in 2025, while strengthening public guarantees for these loans.
Among the most prominent proposals in the document is the establishment of a public investment bank in Morocco, whose mission will be to support productive and industrial investments and economic and environmental transformation, with the mobilization of 50 billion dirhams annually for productive and industrial investments.
Reducing Licenses and Simplifying Procedures
In an effort to reduce administrative complexities, the Progress and Socialism Party proposes the adoption of an economic modernization law that consolidates procedures for simplifying the creation and expansion of businesses, with the digitization of procedures and the creation of a unified portal.
It also proposes reducing the number of required licenses by half within the first 18 months of the next government's term, and strengthening the powers of the unified digital entrepreneurship window, while setting a maximum deadline for processing files at 72 hours.
The document also includes a proposal to link the benefit of large companies from public contracts to the observance of payment deadlines for small and medium-sized enterprises that work with them as subcontractors.
The party also calls for making payment deadlines in commercial transactions effectively not exceed 60 days, and establishing an arbitration institution to intervene in cases of delays or administrative complexities faced by businesses.
Encouraging National Production and Opening Markets
The party attaches importance to market access, where it proposes strengthening national preference in public procurement and encouraging local production and consumption.
Among the proposed measures is the integration of the national "Morocco" brand in the criteria for awarding public contracts, as well as the inclusion of conditions related to local content in contracts exceeding 50 million dirhams.
It also calls for supporting industrial companies wishing to export, by strengthening public support and providing appropriate financing, while working to diversify foreign markets.
In this context, the party proposes increasing the share of African markets to 10% and markets outside Europe to 30% of targeted exports.
Integrating the Informal Economy
The proposed program also addresses informal economic activities, calling for a gradual path towards the formal sector through tax and social incentives and temporary exemptions.
The party sets a goal of creating 300,000 new tax identifiers over five years for small units, and integrating 20% of informal units into the formal economy.
It also proposes reviewing the self-entrepreneur system and the unified professional contribution, as well as providing legal and accounting support for very small businesses, small enterprises, and liberal professions.
Digitization and Innovation in the Service of Businesses
On the digital transformation front, the party proposes accompanying 50,000 very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises on their digitalization journey through training, consulting, and direct financing, including grants of digital checks worth 30,000 dirhams.
The proposals also include establishing a tax credit mechanism for research for industrial and technological companies, and allocating between 5% and 10% of public contracts to innovative startups.
The party also proposes launching pilot public contracts related to national challenges, including water desalination, green hydrogen, and artificial intelligence, as well as establishing 20 regional industrial laboratories equipped with 3D printing, robotics, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Supporting Women and Youth and Creating Employment Opportunities
Women's entrepreneurship and youth entrepreneurship are given significant importance in the proposed program.
In this context, the party proposes allocating a share of 10% of public contracts to companies run by women, and establishing an "Empowerment Fund" to finance women's businesses and cooperatives through interest-free loans.
It also proposes establishing a national seed capital fund for young people between the ages of 18 and 35, as well as subsidizing wages for some new hires within small and medium-sized enterprises in areas with high unemployment rates.
The program also includes the creation of a preferential legal status for innovative startups, taking into account their specificities during the launch and growth phases.
Towards Greater Representation of Businesses in Decision-Making
In conclusion to its document, the Progress and Socialism Party proposes the establishment of an advisory council for social dialogue that includes the state, social partners, and economic actors, while granting the Moroccan Confederation of Very Small, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises representation within relevant institutions and councils.
The party places these proposals within a broader vision aimed, according to the document, at moving from the logic of dealing with businesses solely as a source of tax revenue, to adopting a policy based on encouragement, trust, and partnership between the state and businesses.
Thus, the Progress and Socialism Party presents a multi-faceted program linking tax reform, financing, procedural simplification, digitization, exports, economic integration, and support for youth and women, making very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises a central focus in its vision for economic policy during the period 2027-2031.
