At the end of an almost white year in 2020 for the Cultural and Creative Industries sector and event production, during which the ban on gatherings paralysed activities of a cultural, artistic and event nature, the Federation of Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC), an internal federation of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), welcomes the signing of the “Programme Contract in support of the Cultural and Creative Industries sector”.

This agreement signed between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administrative Reform, the Ministry of Labour and Professional Integration, the Professional Grouping of Banks of Morocco (GPBM) and the CGEM will help to preserve the companies and jobs operating in this sector and in a situation of resilience for 9 months, until the conditions for recovery are met.

The present programme contract, which covers the period 2020-2022, is based on four strategic axes.

It is first of all the preservation of employment, through the payment of a monthly lump-sum indemnity of 2,000 DH, from 1 July 2020 and until 31 March 2021 for employees of ICC companies affected by the crisis, as well as the postponement of the payment of social security contributions and the extension of the exemption from income tax on wage supplements over the same period.

Next, it will also be a question of economic and financial support through the extension of the repayment deadlines for “Damane Oxygène” loans, the launch of two new guarantee products and the introduction of a moratorium on the repayment of bank loans and leases until 31 March 2021, without penalties.

The 3rd axis concerns the strengthening of public procurement to cover market failures linked to health constraints, through, among other things, the implementation of a digital platform for the promotion of intangible heritage, live performances, festivals in the Kingdom, and know-how and a programme of subsidies for the distribution of musical albums to streaming platform aggregators (Spotify, Deezer, etc.).

Finally, the 4th axis is devoted to governance and representativeness, through the launch of an econometric and statistical upgrading project to better understand the economic dimension of the sector, and work on a strategic vision for its development. The private sector will contribute to the work of this study and its steering bodies.

As a reminder, “the development of a national strategic plan for cultural and creative industries within the framework of a collaborative and participatory approach including all the sectors concerned” is at the top of the main recommendations made at the end of the 1st Cultural and Creative Industries Conference co-organised in October 2019 by the Ministry of Culture and the FICC, under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King.