Services Sectors in Morocco : Negotiations Practices & Policy Issues

Notwithstanding national variations in the shares of Gross Domestic Product attributable to services, manufacturing, agriculture, and mining, in the majority of economies the services share is often greater than that of the other three components of economic activity combined. Arguments in favor of liberalizing the market for services are becoming increasingly widespread. These arguments particularly apply to financial services, telecommunications, and transportation, which are key sectors that significantly contribute to a nation's economic development. However, the challenges of liberalizing the market for services to foreign competition are evident. Furthermore, this liberalization entails a broad and complex set of policies, regulatory instruments, institutions and constituencies, domestically and in the foreign arena, in the public and the private sector. Morocco has signed, ratified, and implemented several Free Trade Agreements and is engaged in discussions with other partners. This is why policy issues that concern the market for services are gaining in importance in Morocco's economy & foreign trade policy. This paper tries to outline globally some of these features.