Evaluation of Public Policies Supporting Youth Entrepreneurship in Morocco: Analysis and Perspectives

Abstract

Against the backdrop of economic liberalization and globalization, Morocco has strategically promoted entrepreneurship as a vital catalyst for growth and employment. Since the late 1980s, several public initiatives have been implemented to foster youth business creation. Notable among these are the 'Crédit Jeunes Promoteurs' program and its successor, the 'Moukawalati' program, launched in 2006 under the aegis of ANAPEC. The latter aimed to encourage self-employment and the establishment of micro-enterprises through a more integrated framework combining mentorship, financing, and regional proximity. However, the outcomes consistently fell short of the established targets. Ultimately, these successive initiatives reflect the Moroccan state's sustained efforts to institutionalize support for youth entrepreneurship, while simultaneously highlighting the imperative to consolidate a more coherent entrepreneurial ecosystem and provide support mechanisms better aligned with the country's socio-economic realities. Despite the proliferation of public support schemes for youth entrepreneurship in Morocco since the late 1980s, there is a dearth of research offering a systematic, comparative evaluation of their long-term efficacy. This creates a significant gap in the literature regarding the assessment of entrepreneurial public policies in emerging economies. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the two primary Moroccan programs—Crédit Jeunes Promoteurs and Moukawalati—utilizing a qualitative approach based on a systematic literature review and a comparative documentary analysis of academic, institutional, and governmental sources. Findings reveal that while Crédit Jeunes Promoteurs facilitated the creation of 10,613 projects and 41,230 jobs, the Moukawalati program generated only 2,050 enterprises and 6,180 jobs, representing less than 7% of its initial objectives. The analysis identifies five structural factors of inefficiency: administrative burden, limited banking involvement, insufficient institutional coordination, the lack of an ecosystem-based approach, and a deficit in entrepreneurial culture. This research contributes to the literature on entrepreneurial policy evaluation by proposing an analytical framework that integrates institutional, behavioral, and systemic dimensions.

Classification JEL : L26, L53, L38, J23, O55

Paper type: Theoretical Research