Mamoun Tahri-Joutei
Bank of Africa
Directeur Central, Intelligence Economique & Développement Durable
Morocco's BANK OF AFRICA, previously BMCE Bank, is playing a key role in the country’s efforts to alleviate poverty, stimulate economic growth and advance sustainability. Mamoun Tahri-Joutei, head of business intelligence and sustainability at BANK OF AFRICA, outlines the organization’s strategies for addressing these challenges.
How do you envision the role of banks evolving to drive a positive future? What specific initiatives or strategies are you implementing to align with this vision?
BANK OF AFRICA has a presence in 32 countries worldwide and 20 countries in Africa. It was established in 1959 as a public bank and subsequently privatized in 1995. It has consistently fulfilled a pivotal social function within the Moroccan economy.
The bank is currently focused on achieving its ESG objectives and is proud to be the leading ESG-compliant publicly listed company in Morocco. This is a significant accomplishment for our company.
Our approach to the environmental aspect of ESG is well recognized both within and outside the bank. We have evaluated the financed emissions of our customer portfolio and are in the process of finalizing our transition plan for 2030 and 2050.
Indeed, Morocco is situated just 14 km from Europe, and the EU is implementing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism that will impose tariffs on numerous imported products. We are assisting businesses in Morocco with their decarbonization process. Our bank employs advisors who assist customers in reducing their emissions. Furthermore, we are developing a Sustainability Institute to guide our customers in achieving greater sustainability.
We are also engaged in the social aspect of ESG. One of our most significant achievements in this field is the establishment of an Entrepreneurship Observatory. Established in 2008, this initiative is an online portal that provides SMEs and entrepreneurs with non-financial services to assist them at every stage of the business life cycle.
Our initial objective was to expand our market share in the SME sector. However, we identified a lack of entrepreneurial activity in Morocco. Consequently, we took the initiative to develop the market. Our first step was to establish an SME ecosystem, which now encompasses over 300 stakeholders, including state agencies, public companies, SMEs, and entrepreneurs. And it has an extensive regional footprint. We wanted to help Moroccans throughout the country.
