The employment issue in the Arab Maghreb: Bureaucratic obstacles should be removed

By: Adel Rochdy

The official unemployment rates in the Maghreb are worrisome, varying between 12 and 14 per cent in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, and exceeding 30 per cent in Mauritania.

The reports issued by regional or international organizations reveal some facts, and warn the States and economic actors against the risks of the deterioration of social and economic conditions. Unfortunately, these reports are also used as a spectrum, and hamper concrete initiatives.

The impact of the financial crisis of the Western world on the labor market in the Arab and Maghreb countries is a complete nonsense.

How many times have we heard of the need to resort to tax exemptions in order to encourage businesses to recruit young people, or of having the State cover the social expenses of the hiring companies?

These solutions have certainly contributed to creating a few jobs, but they were not – by no means – reliable and effective solutions to solve the problem of the growing unemployment rates in the Arab Maghreb countries.

The problem with the Maghreb is that there are no common solutions as each State adopts its own resolutions to curb the issue of employment.

What is the use of the AMU then, this supra-state structure that is intended to represent a common economic space?

For now, the few existing common institutions are merely limited to declarations of intent with no concrete actions, like the Council of Maghreb Ministers of employment that announced in its 9th session the establishment of a Maghreb strategy to fight against unemployment; a strategy that will remain with no future.

There is even worse. In some meetings on the Maghreb level, we dare suggest theoretical and ironic solutions, such as cooperation between employment agencies, or sharing expertise, or organizing a Maghreb forum to discuss employment in the Arab Maghreb.

In short, no tangible action is carried out. The Maghreb States are indeed aware of the seriousness of the problem, yet they are not ready to join hands in order to find adequate solutions within their geographical area.

How can they do that when a banking organization such as the Maghreb Bank for Foreign Trade and Investment (BMICE), which was created since 2008, is not operating yet, despite the facts that the starting capital was already set at 500 million dollars, and that Tunis was appointed as the headquarters of this common financial institution?

Therefore, we are calling for creating private projects that are unifying and oriented towards proximity sectors such as agriculture, craft industry and tourism; and activating the process of upgrading and professional training. How many Tunisians, for example, would be hired if Algerian tourism was enhanced, especially in Kabylie? Quite a few, probably, given the quality of Tunisian human resources in this field.

We also dare hope that bureaucratic hurdles will be overcome, particularly in terms of taxation and free movement of goods and people within the Maghreb area where wealth is abound.