RABAT: The Moroccan government, which plans to sell an 8% stake in Maroc Telecom, will sell 6% of that this month as a block order to local institutional investors such as retirement funds, insurance companies and banks, the ministry of finance said on Tuesday.
The remaining 2% stake will be sold on the Casablanca stock exchange, where the company is already listed, it said.
The government owns 30% of Maroc Telecom, Morocco’s largest telecom operator, which announced on May 31 that the government would sell up to an 8% stake of the company’s capital.
The 6% stake comprises 52,745,700 shares, priced at 127 dirhams ($13.2) per share, which will be sold before the end of June, the finance ministry said in a statement.
Maroc Telecom is also listed on the Euronext exchange in Paris.
The 2% stake sale, totalling 17,581,900 shares, will take place on the Casablanca stock exchange as a public offering, the ministry said.
Besides Morocco, Maroc Telecom operates subsidiaries in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Togo and the Central African Republic.
The sale would pump $1 billion into the state budget as a first step in a privatization program that is designed to cut the 2019 budget deficit to 3.3% of gross domestic product, from 3.8% of GDP in 2018.
The government also plans to sell the five-star La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech and the Tahaddart power plant in the north of the country.
Morocco favors local institutional investors in Maroc Telecom stake sale
Morocco favors local institutional investors in Maroc Telecom stake sale
Oman launches 2026–2030 SME plan as fiscal recovery strengthens
RIYADH: Oman has launched a five-year plan to expand its small and medium-sized enterprise sector, seeking to deepen private-sector growth as the sultanate consolidates recent fiscal gains and returns to investment-grade status.
The 2026–2030 SME Sector Implementation Plan, unveiled by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, or Riyada, aims to improve market access, boost SME competitiveness and raise the sector’s contribution to the economy, according to the Oman News Agency.
The plan supports innovation and entrepreneurship while promoting the transition to a knowledge-based economy, the Oman News Agency reported.
The initiative forms part of Oman Vision 2040 and the Eleventh Five-Year Development Plan, which prioritize private-sector expansion, diversification and job creation.
The launch follows Fitch Ratings’ decision earlier this month to upgrade Oman to investment-grade status, raising the country’s long-term foreign-currency rating to BBB- from BB+. Fitch cited stronger public finances, a sharper reduction in government debt and an improved external position.
“The implementation plan is based on several key strategic pillars, most notably: market access and value chains, financing and investment, enhancing local content, and developing a culture of entrepreneurship, skills, and innovation,” the ONA report stated.
It added: “These pillars were developed through a participatory approach with contributions from several government and private entities supporting the SME sector, and are based on studies, benchmarking, and international best practices.”
The plan also includes a package of specialized programs and initiatives targeting different stages of SME growth. These include measures to improve readiness for expansion and exports, integrated financing programs, initiatives supporting handicrafts and the creative economy, and the development of a network of entrepreneurship centers across Oman’s governorates.
Riyada said implementation of the plan would help strengthen the sustainability of SMEs, create quality job opportunities and empower entrepreneurs to build viable and scalable businesses, enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy.
Oman has made significant progress in strengthening fiscal discipline, reducing government debt to around 36 percent of GDP in 2025, down from about 68 percent in 2020.
With the outlook remaining stable, Fitch expects the budget deficit to remain at a manageable level of around 1 percent of GDP in 2026 and 2027, assuming an average Brent crude price of $63 per barrel. The fiscal breakeven oil price is estimated at around $67 per barrel over the same period.
