Crisis in Morocco: The Confederation of Small Businesses Condemns Violence and Calls for Compensation for Disaster
The Moroccan Confederation of Very Small, Small, and Medium Enterprises (CMTPME) issued a strong press release on October 3, 2025, expressing its full solidarity with Moroccan youth and their legitimate demands, articulated during peaceful demonstrations on September 27 and 28. These demands—focused on improving the healthcare and education systems, creating jobs, achieving social justice, and combating corruption—reflect the legitimate aspirations of a significant segment of Moroccan society.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of these demands, the Confederation firmly condemns the acts of violence and vandalism perpetrated by a minority of troublemakers who exploited the context of the demonstrations to carry out theft, destruction, and damage to businesses and projects owned by small entrepreneurs. These attacks also targeted banks, public and private institutions, as well as members of law enforcement during the unfortunate events that unfolded in several cities and regions across the Kingdom throughout the week.
Heightened Challenges for Small Entrepreneurs
The acts of vandalism targeting citizens’ property, particularly that of small entrepreneurs, only exacerbate the already precarious situation of this group, which faces numerous heavy challenges. Among these difficulties are a lack of access to funding, exclusion from public contracts in favor of large economic players, an unjustified increase in taxation from 10% to 20%, corruption in the allocation of public aid, and rising debt.
The recent acts of destruction dealt a fatal blow to the hopes of many entrepreneurs whose projects—vital sources of income for their families and employees—have been looted or ravaged, plunging them into uncertainty and distress.
The Confederation also recounts poignant testimonies from entrepreneurs who have lost all means of livelihood.
Severe Consequences for the National Economy and Social Peace
The CMTPME warns of the major economic and social repercussions of the damage suffered by businesses and microenterprises. These substantial material losses directly threaten the survival of the affected entrepreneurs, who are already weakened by a lack of government support, banking assistance, and insurance coverage.
The destruction of these small entities will inevitably lead to the elimination of numerous jobs, further exacerbating youth unemployment.
The Confederation highlights that these events undermine investors’ and entrepreneurs’ confidence in the stability of Morocco’s business environment. It reminds us that Very Small and Small Enterprises (TPEs and SMEs) constitute 98.4% of the national economic fabric and account for more than 83% of jobs, making their vulnerability a direct threat to social peace.
Demands of the Confederation: Urgent Compensation and National Dialogue
To address this crisis, the CMTPME calls for the government to intervene urgently to compensate the victims through various mechanisms, including the National Initiative for Human Development, the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, and the Disaster Management Fund, considering this tragedy akin to a true national catastrophe.
It also demands the initiation of a transparent and thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators of the vandalism and bring them to justice.
Furthermore, the Confederation advocates for the establishment of exceptional support measures, such as tax relief, the provision of interest-free loans, restructuring the debts of affected entrepreneurs, prompt payment of outstanding invoices, and their effective integration into public support programs for businesses.
Finally, the CMTPME calls for strengthening security measures to protect small entrepreneurs’ property against potential future riots, as well as for the initiation of an inclusive national dialogue to address the root causes of the demonstrations and prevent their recurrence.
It reaffirms its total solidarity with all affected entrepreneurs and invites economic and social actors to unite their efforts to overcome this crisis and preserve the continuity of economic activity in Morocco.
