The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has inaugurated on Monday 2 a new office in Agadir to help promote small and medium-sized enterprises and encourage self-employment.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has opened a new office in the southwestern city of Agadir on Monday. This is EBRD’s third office in Morocco beside the ones in the cities of Casablanca and Tangier.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by a number of Moroccan and European officials as well as international economic players.

The President of the bank Alain Pilloux expressed his delight at this inauguration in a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Press (MAP) and informed that the new office will cover the regions of Souss-Massa and Marrakech- Safi.

He added that its aim is to help promote small and medium-size business in the region and boost self-employment.

Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Craft Industry, Air Transport and Social Economy, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, who lauded the inauguration said that it carries immense economic prospects for the region and will benefit companies both financially and tehnically.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development first set foot in Morocco in 2012. Since then it has helped financing 50 projects at a total budget amounting to € 1.7 billion. In addition, 550 small and medium-size Moroccan business have benefited from its business management consulting.

The Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Morocco, Claudia Wiedey, attended the inauguration of EBRD’s new Agadir office. The Moroccan officials included the Wali of the Souss-Massa region and the Governor of the prefecture of Agadir-Ida Ou Tanane, Ahmed Hajji, and the president of the council of the Souss-Massa region, Brahim Hafidi.