2012年-世界发展银行全球_Morocco_Moves_Forward_on_an_Arduous_Path_Reforming_its_Doing_Business_Indicators_3页_764kb

MENA Knowledge and Learning - Quick Notes Series

Core Content Summary

The 2012 Doing Business (DB) Report highlights Morocco's significant progress in improving its business environment, resulting in a 21-place improvement in its overall ranking to 94. This achievement is attributed to reforms in four out of the 10 categories of the Doing Business Index, while six other categories saw minor declines.

Key Reforms and Improvements

• Dealing with Construction Permits: Morocco introduced a one-stop shop system, reducing the time required to obtain permits from 104 to 97 days.
• Easing Tax Compliance: Enhanced electronic filing and payment systems for corporate income tax and value added tax led to a 34% reduction in the time needed to pay taxes.
• Protecting Investors: Legislation was passed to improve minority shareholder rights, allowing them to access non-confidential corporate documents during legal proceedings.
• Trading Across Borders: Streamlined administrative procedures reduced the time required for import and export activities.

Areas of Slippage

• Starting a Business: Morocco's ranking dropped by 11 points in 2011 but is expected to improve in 2012 due to new legislative reforms.
• Other categories such as Getting Electricity, Registering Property, Paying Taxes, Enforcing Contracts, and Resolving Insolvency also showed some decline, though not significant enough to offset the overall improvements.

Evolution of the Business Environment

Morocco's reforms began in 2008 with the establishment of a public-private coordination mechanism, supported by the World Bank. This led to the creation of the National Committee for the Business Environment (CNEA), a platform for stakeholder dialogue and reform planning. The CNEA has been instrumental in developing and implementing annual, prioritized reform action plans that combine short-term and long-term initiatives.

Major Projects Implemented

• Eliminating Minimum Capital Requirements for LLCs: A law was passed in June 2011 to remove minimum capital requirements for Limited Liability Companies.
• Reinforcing Minority Shareholder Rights: Modifications to commercial court procedures were approved to improve shareholder access to company information.
• Online Tax Declaration and Payment System: The Ministry of Finance and CNSS introduced an online system to facilitate tax payment.
• Unique Identifier Number for Companies: A unique ID system was adopted to streamline company registration and tax procedures across databases.
• Simplifying Legal and Administrative Forms: A long-term project aimed at enhancing transparency and reducing bureaucratic discretion.

Lessons Learned from Reforming

The success of Morocco's reform program underscores the importance of:

• Establishing a high-level, performing decision-making body.
• Engaging in structured public-private dialogue.
• Coordinating across multiple agencies and institutions.
• Utilizing modern IT and e-government systems to support reforms.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the progress, Morocco still faces challenges in creating a truly predictable and modern business environment. These include the need to further update and simplify laws related to competition, concessions, the commercial code, collateral, bankruptcy, and public procurement. Implementation of these reforms requires long-term efforts and coordination across overlapping jurisdictions.

Conclusion

The CNEA has played a crucial role in Morocco's reform success, demonstrating the value of a well-structured, inclusive, and technologically supported reform process. The new government's continued commitment to the CNEA is expected to foster further improvements and attract additional support from international organizations like the World Bank.

Contact Information

• Laura Tuck, Director, Strategy and Operations, MENA Region, The World Bank
• Regional Quick Notes Team: Omer Karasapan, Roby Fields, and Hafed Al-Ghwell
• Tel #: (202) 473 8177

Note: The MNA Quick Notes summarize lessons learned from Bank Knowledge and Learning activities and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, its Board, or its member countries.