In 2025, 65 Moroccan public establishments and enterprises were fined a total of 423.2 million dirhams for failing to pay their suppliers within the legal deadlines. This represents a 10.2% increase in the number of entities sanctioned compared to 2024, despite a 41.2% decrease in the total amount of fines. The data comes from the annual report of the Observatoire des délais de paiement, which monitors payment delays in Morocco.
The report highlights that while there has been an overall improvement in payment delays, the public sector remains a significant offender. The 423.2 million dirhams in fines represent 31.8% of the total 1.331 billion dirhams in fines recorded in 2025. This is a notable concern, as the public sector's payment delays can have a significant impact on the cash flow of suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
The report also notes that the number of public entities with a payment delay of over 90 days increased from 8 to 12 in 2025, while those with a delay of over 120 days doubled from 3 to 6. These entities will be a priority for the Observatoire's future monitoring efforts. The report emphasizes that the progress made since 2018 is considerable, with the average payment delay for public entities decreasing from 55.9 days to 32.5 days.
However, the report also notes that the pace of progress has slowed in recent years. The average payment delay increased by 0.8 days in 2025, from 31.7 to 32.5 days. The Observatoire attributes some of the payment delays to the complex operational, financial, and institutional characteristics of certain public entities, particularly those responsible for public service missions.
The report also highlights the impact of payment delays on suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The AJAL platform, which allows suppliers to file complaints, received 143 new registrations in 2025, bringing the total to 899. Thirty suppliers filed 60 complaints for a total amount of 8.91 million dirhams, with 46 complaints still pending.
The Observatoire emphasizes that the fight against payment delays is crucial for the health of Morocco's productive fabric, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that are most exposed to liquidity shocks. The report calls for reinforced mechanisms for monitoring, financial anticipation, and cash management to address the issue of payment delays.
The public sector's payment delays are concentrated in certain sectors, including social services, health, education, and training. Seven of the 16 public entities with payment delays are from this sector, which accounts for 44% of the total. The Observatoire will prioritize these sectors in its future monitoring efforts to address the issue of payment delays.
Key points
- The public sector accounts for 31.8% of total fines for payment delays in Morocco.
- 65 public establishments and enterprises were fined 423.2 million dirhams for payment delays in 2025.
- The number of public entities with payment delays of over 90 days increased from 8 to 12 in 2025.
