Handicraft sector has contributed 19 percent to Morocco’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs around 2 million persons, which stands for 20 percent of the country’s active population, according to recent figures.
The value of exports stood in 1999 at 610 million Dirhams (about $52.5 million) accounting for 6.5 percent of total exports of goods, reported the official Maghrebe Arab Presse.
The sector grows by an annual 5.5 percent, compared to industry, which grows by 3.5 percent, according to the figures.
Handicraft, closely linked to tourism where the target is to reach 10 million visitors in 2010, should accompany this forecast to increase its production by 4.4 percent create 450,000 new jobs and supply an additional 15 billion DH ($1.2 billion) in foreign currencies over the eight coming years, said the agency – Albawaba.com
