Moroccan Street Vendors Persist Despite Government Efforts to Relocate

While the public authorities have resorted to support and negotiation to find alternative income-generating activities for the thousands of "ferrachas", the phenomenon of street vendors remains. They have also built local markets for street vendors, mainly fruit and vegetable sellers. This experience has only succeeded in certain areas. The success was not there in other areas. And for good reason, the development of these markets on sites far from high population density areas, or far from the target population and means of transport. Another problem: random and anarchic management of the markets. Premises would have been assigned several times or rented out by their initial beneficiaries and random management.

The miracle solution that the public authorities could consider is to create more decent job opportunities and stable incomes, analyzes the Arabic-language daily Assabah, however noting that failing to eradicate the phenomenon, this would reduce its scale.

In an interview with La Vie Éco in 2022, Tayab Snoussi, president of the Inter-professional Federation of the Fruit Growing Sector (FéDAM), had specified that street vendors participate in the disposal of about 30% of the national production of fresh fruit. Relying on this importance, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) had made proposals for their integration into the economic and social fabric. These include the establishment of an open vocational training system to enable a significant proportion of street vendors to engage in alternative activities; development of flexible training programs in literacy, digital, health and safety, customer service, marketing and management. The council had also recommended that street vendors be able to benefit from financial support from the state in order to engage in training programs.