Morocco has seen the creation of (16) Regional Investment Centres (CRI) under the responsibility of the Walis of the regions in execution of the directives of the letter of His Majesty King Mohammed VI addressed to the Prime Minister on January 9, 2002 relating to the deconcentrated management of investment.
These CRIs are intended to carry out two main missions, namely assistance for business creation and investment assistance, through two windows. The main objectives of the Regional Investment Centre are: simplification of procedures, proximity and uniqueness of the interlocutor, as well as the development and promotion of investment in the different regions of Morocco.
The main prerogatives of the Regional Investment Centre are :
- Assistance in the creation of companies
- Assistance to investment projects
- The maintenance and development of existing investments
- Improving the attractiveness of each region to investment in high-potential sectors
- Improving the Regional Business Climate
The law relating to the restructuring of the CRI has just been passed and was published in the official bulletin of February 21, 2019. Article 1 of the Act provides for: “the transformation of CRIs into public establishments with legal personality and financial autonomy as soon as the Act enters into force”.
CRIs are governed by boards of directors and managed by a general manager. As one-stop-shops, CRIs will, under the new law, have to offer the following services:
- Provide assistance to investors in carrying out the administrative procedures necessary for the creation of companies,
- To provide assistance to investors and enterprises, especially SMEs, in the implementation of their investment projects and to follow up on obtaining the authorisations and administrative decisions provided for in the law in force,
- Receiving investment files and applications for authorization and the related administrative decisions, studying them in coordination with the administrations and public bodies concerned in accordance with the laws in force,
- Make all information of a public nature available to investors and companies using all available means,
All administrations or public bodies must consult the CRIs before putting in place financial incentives and aid for investors and companies. This law also establishes unified regional investment commissions. The purpose of these commissions is “to ensure integrated and harmonised processing of investment files”. It will give the approval or not for an investment project that the CRI will subsequently monitor.
This commission will exist in each region and will be a decision-making and coordinating body for the action of the administrations responsible for investment matters.
Download the evaluation report of the CRI experience, 2017
