The Chamber of Representatives adopted at a plenary session Monday a bill transforming the Agence nationale des ports (ANP) into a joint-stock company, to be known as Ports du Maroc SA. The bill is part of the government’s broader program to convert public institutions into commercially structured entities.
The bill also amends the 2005 Law No. 15.02 on ports and the creation of the ANP and the Societe d’exploitation des ports. The transformation is intended to provide greater management flexibility and operational efficiency, while preserving the social and professional rights of ANP employees throughout the transition.
Under the new framework, Ports du Maroc SA will assume responsibility for the management, development, maintenance and promotion of Morocco’s port network on behalf of the State. The mandate covers all ports in the Kingdom with the exception of those located within the Tanger-Med special development zone and those situated on the Marchica lagoon site, which retain distinct governance arrangements.
The company’s core functions will include the preparation of internal development plans and port exploitation regulations, the determination of the number and terms of concessions and authorizations to be granted, the negotiation and conclusion of concession agreements, and oversight of all holders of port operation permits and temporary public domain licenses. Despite the commercial restructuring, the State will retain full ownership of the new entity’s capital.
Governance will be entrusted to a Board of Directors comprising independent members alongside a Director General. The reform is consistent with a wider public-sector transformation agenda being pursued by the current government, which has been converting a series of state institutions into joint-stock entities to improve accountability, attract financing and strengthen operational performance in strategic economic sectors.
