Crisis in Morocco: The Confederation of Small Businesses Condemns Violence and Calls for Disaster Compensation
Moroccan Confederation of Very Small, Small, and Medium Enterprises Expresses Solidarity with Youth Protests
On October 3, 2025, the Moroccan Confederation of Very Small, Small, and Medium Enterprises (CMTPME) issued a strong press release expressing full solidarity with Moroccan youth and their legitimate demands, voiced during the peaceful protests on September 27 and 28. These demands—focused on improving the healthcare and education systems, creating jobs, ensuring social justice, and combating corruption—reflect the valid aspirations of a significant segment of Moroccan society.
While recognizing the legitimacy of these claims, the Confederation firmly condemns the acts of violence and vandalism perpetrated by a minority of troublemakers who took advantage of the protest context to commit thefts, destruction, and damage to businesses and projects belonging to small entrepreneurs. These attacks also targeted banks, public and private institutions, as well as law enforcement officers during the unfortunate events that unfolded in several cities and regions throughout the week.
Increasing Challenges for Small Entrepreneurs
The vandalism targeting citizens’ property, particularly that of small entrepreneurs, only exacerbates the already precarious situation faced by this group, which is grappling with significant challenges. These include limited access to funding, exclusion from public markets favoring larger economic players, unjustified tax increases ranging from 10% to 20%, corruption in the allocation of public aid, and rising debt.
The recent acts of destruction have dealt a fatal blow to the hopes of numerous entrepreneurs whose projects—sources of income for their families and employees—have been ransacked or looted, plunging them into uncertainty and despair. The Confederation has also referenced poignant testimonies from entrepreneurs who have lost all means of livelihood.
Serious Implications for the National Economy and Social Peace
The CMTPME is raising alarm about the significant economic and social repercussions of the damage inflicted on businesses and microenterprises. These considerable material losses directly threaten the survival of the affected entrepreneurs, who are already weakened by the lack of governmental, banking, and insurance support.
The destruction of these small structures will inevitably lead to the loss of numerous jobs, further exacerbating youth unemployment. The Confederation also emphasizes that these events undermine investor and entrepreneur confidence in the stability of Morocco’s business environment. It highlights that very small and small enterprises account for 98.4% of the national economic fabric and provide over 83% of jobs, making their fragilization a direct threat to social peace.
Confederation’s Demands: Urgent Compensation and National Dialogue
To address this crisis, the CMTPME is calling on the government to intervene urgently to compensate victims through several mechanisms, such as the National Initiative for Human Development, the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, and the Disaster Management Fund, arguing that this tragedy resembles a true national catastrophe.
It also demands a transparent and thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators of the vandalism and bring them to justice. Additionally, the Confederation advocates for the implementation of exceptional support measures, such as tax relief, interest-free loans, restructuring the debts of affected entrepreneurs, prompt payment of outstanding invoices, and effective integration into public support programs for businesses.
Lastly, the CMTPME calls for enhanced security measures to protect small entrepreneurs’ properties from potential future riots, as well as an inclusive national dialogue to address the root causes of the protests and prevent their recurrence. It reaffirms its total solidarity with all affected entrepreneurs and urges economic and social actors to unite their efforts to overcome this crisis and maintain economic activity in Morocco.
