From July 19 to 22, in Marrakech, Morocco welcomes, under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, the 14th (US-Africa Business Summit). The ocher city by hosting the event, becomes the first city in the north of the continent to do so.
The forum is organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), under the theme ” Let’s build the future together “. This edition will bring together Heads of State, public and private economic operators as well as American and African institutions. Holding this summit represents a unique opportunity for the Kingdom.
Indeed, over the years, the North African nation has developed a very favorable economic well-being that has turned the eyes of all international powers towards the region. This is why Morocco will have the honor of hosting this event, where it will show its full potential in the business world.
The Summit will focus on engaging public and private sector stakeholders to build stronger investment and trade ties between the United States and Africa. The program includes more than 35 plenary sessions and roundtables focusing on strategic sectors in the economic and commercial collaboration between the United States and Africa such as: agribusiness, infrastructure, energy and climate change, health, cyber security and ICT. During these days, Morocco’s ambition to develop this sector will be reflected.
The Kingdom will show the importance of sustainable development in Africa, one of its economic strengths in recent years. It is worth mentioning that the Maghreb country has been able to attract global companies to develop sustainable and ecological projects, making it a major global economic center for this industry, which is already starting to bear fruit and become internationally relevant. .
Morocco’s business environment is also remarkable. Thanks to the country’s laws, which allow for reduced taxes and incentives, businesses are favored and can operate in a stable environment. International brands are the ones that benefit the most from these advantages and can make their way on the continent.
The President and CEO of the CCA, Florizelle (Florie) Liser, who is the third President and CEO of CCA and the first woman at the head of the CCA since its creation in 1993, took this opportunity to return to the themes on the agenda. . She addressed the challenges of an edition held after the pandemic in a context of heightened geopolitical tension with a significant impact on Africa. In addition, she noted the immense growth potential on the continent, especially in view of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (Zlecaf). She also highlighted the role of the private sector and public-private partnership for sustainable and inclusive development.
The CCA President paid tribute to Morocco’s role, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, as a hub for boosting investment, business and trade between the United States and the continent. ” The Summit provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the synergies of economic relations between the United States and Morocco, between Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa as well as the broader economic relations between the United States and Africa. “, she said.
Florie Liser brings to this leading private, Africa-focused U.S. organization, extensive experience working with the private sector gained throughout her career in the U.S. government. She had previously served, among other things, as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Africa since 2003.
For her part, the President of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Alice Albright, underlined, Monday in Casablanca, that the MCC recognizes the potential of Moroccan youth to transform the economy.
” At MCC, we recognize the potential of Moroccan youth to transform the economy and I am certain that through investment in education, this potential could be realized”said Albright during a field visit to the Training Institute in Transport and Logistics Professions (IFMTL) in Nouaceur.
On this occasion, the President of MCC said she was very happy to note the important work carried out for the creation of this institute which benefits from the support of the “Charaka” Fund set up by the “Compact II” cooperation program, concluded between Morocco and the United States, and whose implementation is entrusted to the Millennium Challenge Account-Morocco Agency (MCA-Morocco).
And to support: “ I lead a large US Government delegation that includes senior officials who represent 10 departments and agencies as the US private sector. This is an opportunity to revitalize our partnerships across the continent, and there is no better place to celebrate these partnerships than Morocco, where our relationship dates back to 2006. “.
MCC, through MCA-Morocco, has invested more than $1 billion in funding two Compacts in Morocco, recalled Alice Albright, saying: “ We are very proud to partner with the Government of Morocco in projects and reforms that will impact hundreds of thousands of Moroccans“.
In 2017, MCC and the Moroccan government launched the implementation of the MCC Compact with a budget of $460 million, invested in the land and employability sectors. ” Through this project, we are working together to increase land productivity and to prepare Moroccan youth for the job market.“, explained Albright, noting that “ 15 technical and vocational training centers are currently being co-constructed through the Charaka Fund, to use a new pilot approach focused on the private sector“.
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