Doris Leuthard, Swiss Energy Minister, in Morocco to boost cooperation

Will there be tax incentives to invest in the energy sector? What financing channels are available? Will regulatory frameworks be modernised? Although pragmatic, the questions raised by the Moroccan and Swiss businesspeople who gathered on 28 June at the Residence of the Swiss Ambassador to Morocco in Rabat, on the occasion of the visit of the Swiss Minister of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Ms Doris Leuthard, reflected a number of concerns. And this morning meeting, organised in collaboration with the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, was intended to dispel them. The meeting gave concrete form to a memorandum of understanding between the public authorities of Morocco and Switzerland signed at the end of January in Geneva (at the Energy Conference), which calls for more intensive economic cooperation in this sector between companies from the two countries. That said, “this document is absolutely useless if we do not bring together SMEs and investors,” believes Ms Doris Leuthard. She added: “For our part, we politicians are not trying to see what improvements are possible in legal frameworks. The main thing is that it is companies that find partnerships.” And that is precisely why the minister was accompanied by some thirty companies interested in the sector, including Credit Suisse. This delegation of entrepreneurs from the sector was thus able to meet the Moroccan ministers of Energy and Transport. “The aim is to create strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors for this sector. This is indeed our approach in other countries and we want to do more of it in Morocco. It must be said that there are great opportunities in the Kingdom in the transport and energy sectors. We therefore want to seize them by doing what we usually do in Switzerland: creating public-private partnerships,” explains HE Mr Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to Morocco.

Challenges and future opportunities…

If Swiss entrepreneurs’ interest in Morocco is growing, it is because the Kingdom has made giant strides in the sector, particularly in renewable energy. “Our country can be proud to be among the big players in the fields of green energy and energy efficiency. I think the day has been very fruitful for everyone. And we hope to see a number of outcomes in the coming days,” enthused Mr Mehdi Benzaari, President of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco. But although the sector in the Kingdom is held up as an example almost everywhere in the world, certain issues remain. “Today, the most urgent thing is to find financing for our projects, and the Swiss economic model knows how to identify it. What is important for Morocco is to take advantage of this experience and to create a favourable context to attract financing ,” added Mr Benzaari. The energy sector is not the only one attracting entrepreneurs’ interest. Transport, and more specifically electric vehicles, are also in Switzerland’s sights. “At home, it is a sector that is changing a great deal. Electric vehicles are gaining ground. With Morocco’s energy ambitions, I can see a win-win partnership coming in this area,” concluded the Swiss minister.

Testimonials:

Economic cooperation between our two countries is going very well and is growing stronger every day. That said, the sectors of interest to us at the moment are Energy, Transport, the Green economy and Finance. It must also be said that Morocco plays a major role in the Maghreb region and also in Africa. And we are interested in sub-Saharan markets, and in that sense, this is also another area of partnership between our two countries. Ms Doris Leuthard , Swiss Minister of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications

We are very honoured and happy to welcome the Minister, who oversees six different sectors in Switzerland. This is an important event since we will be taking part in a high-level ministerial meeting. These are important sectors offering opportunities both for Swiss companies wishing to set up in Morocco and for Moroccan companies. Mr Mehdi Benzaari , President of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco

Morocco is very important for Switzerland. Our country is the fifth-largest foreign investor in the Kingdom, which is quite remarkable. And in the renewable energy sector, Morocco holds an important place within Swiss business communities. Our aim is to push economic cooperation further in this sector. Of course, this is not the only sector that interests us. Other partnerships could emerge in agriculture or tourism… HE Mr Massimo Baggi , Ambassador of Switzerland to Morocco

Taking part in this event comes at just the right time to promote our business. As a leader in the recovery of industrial and household waste, we offer to manage our customers’ industrial waste and treat it properly so that it can be recycled or transformed into alternative fuels for cement plants. And at the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, many manufacturers and operators would like to find a secure solution for transforming their waste. Ms Hind Baddag , Subsidiary Director, Géocycle