Togo chamber of commerce opens Grand Lomé office to support businesses

Economic governance

Wednesday, 06 May 2026 16:01

Togo chamber of commerce opens Grand Lomé office to support businesses

(Togo First) - Togo's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo) on Tuesday inaugurated its Grand Lomé regional delegation in Agoè-Nyivé 1, as part of a decentralization drive aimed at bringing services closer to businesses in the capital.

The new office is expected to provide companies with local access to administrative support, economic information, dispute resolution services and export assistance.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Economy and Strategic Oversight in charge of Commerce Badanam Patoki, CCI-Togo President Dr. José Kwassi Symenouh and Grand Lomé Governor Kassa Traoré.

The chamber said the initiative aims to reduce processing times, simplify procedures and offer a one-stop service center for businesses.

CCI-Togo said the new facility reflects the concentration of economic activity in Greater Lomé, which accounts for a significant share of the country's productive capacity. The delegation is intended to act as an interface between businesses and public administrations, particularly tax and customs authorities.

The opening "marks CCI-Togo's reform drive focused on efficiency, accessibility and performance," Dr. Symenouh said.

Authorities described the delegation as a tool to strengthen business competitiveness amid growing regional competition, particularly following the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. They identified improvements to the business environment and access to information as key factors in supporting private-sector growth.

The office is also expected to serve a broad range of economic actors, from large companies to small and medium-sized enterprises and businesses transitioning from the informal to the formal sector. Authorities said particular attention would be given to young entrepreneurs and women, who are active in high-growth sectors.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.