Berrechid’s Street Vendor Ban Sparks Debate: Calls for Government Intervention in Morocco’s Informal Economy

"All professionals hope for an end to the current situation, but with the provision of an alternative for the category of street vendors, particularly through model markets," said a vegetable and fruit merchant at the Casablanca wholesale market. According to him, this activity sustains many families. Merchants resort to this form of sale for multiple reasons, mainly focused on "the high cost of renting commercial premises in Moroccan cities," he explained, recalling that the accelerated campaigns to free up the public domain have contributed to the increase in the prices of premises in several Moroccan cities.

According to the latter, the biggest loser of the decision of the municipality of Berrechid is the farmer, after the street vendors, because "purchases from him are clearly hampered." The Secretary General of the Democratic Organization of Transport and Multimodal Logistics agrees with him. He called for the provision of an alternative for street vendors who depend on mobile carts. According to him, the provision of this alternative is primarily the responsibility of the government, and not of the local authorities.

"The issue is national, linked to the informal sector in Morocco, which requires an approach that goes beyond the logic of prohibition," he explained. And he added: "In general, it is the responsibility of the government to present a specific bill to this situation experienced by the municipality of Berrechid."