PIA attests to Togo’s commitment to industrialization, says President Gnassingbe
Friday, 04 June 2021 16:22 
(Togo First) - The Adétikope Industrial Platform (PIA), which is to be inaugurated on June 6, reflects the will of President Gnassingbé to make his country an industrial hub and create added value.
"This project is just one example of what can be achieved in Togo when the Republic of Togo and all investors and companies, who are serious about creating value, work towards a common goal," said the Head of State, in a statement issued by ARISE, developer of the platform.
The PIA, lauded the leader, "will ensure that Togo gets a better share of the value-added through the development of local industry" and the creation of more jobs for youth.
According to developers, the PIA aims to create chains with high added value in Togo’s textile industry and it should act as a catalyst supporting economic growth, regional integration, and trade. This, including its integrated ecosystem which provides a wide array of tax incentives and modern facilities that foster the competitive production of local agricultural resources, notably cashew and soybeans.
Built over 400 ha, the PIA will host agrofood, pharmaceutical, recycling, and electric vehicle businesses. Already, it has signed a contract with Togo Wood Industries and Togo Agro Resources. The first is a wood company and the second will transform soybeans into edible oil notably.
Other businesses, including some Togolese companies which are part of the National Employers’ Council (CNP-Togo) are also looking for opportunities to invest there. According to the expectations of Togolese authorities, the park will generate 35,000 local jobs.
Let’s note that an industrial platform dedicated to the farmers of the Réseau des Coopératives d'Étuvage du Riz (RECER) was also inaugurated recently in Dapaong, northern Togo. The facility, developed by the Centre de Transformation et de Commercialisation du Riz (CTCR), should improve hulling and parboiling of rice. It has an estimated capacity of 1,000 tons of rice per year. For this project, the CTCR benefited from the technical support of Recherche Appui et Formation aux Initiatives d’Auto développement (RAFIA). Financial support came from Louvain Cooperation, a Belgian NGO. According to a tweet by the ministry of agriculture, the mini-plant has already produced 25 t of rice: 5kg and 25kg bags of “Riz Savana” rice.
It should be indicated that between 2008 and 2018, Togo’s rice output soared 64%, from 58,637 t to 145,000t. Over the period, the country had in place a strategy to boost rice farming (SNDR). The latter aimed mainly at developing efficient processing and commercialization solutions in the regions of Kara and Savanes.
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