Togo: Minister of Finance encourages local production amid persistent inflation

Economic governance

Thursday, 16 June 2022 17:33

Togo: Minister of Finance encourages local production amid persistent inflation

(Togo First) - The Togolese Minister of Economy and Finance, Sani Yaya, recently urged local economic actors to put local production first. The official did so on June 15, at the 2nd annual State-Private sector Consultation Framework meeting in Lomé.

Referring to the negative impacts of the Ukrainian war on African countries, such as the spike in prices of basic commodities, Yaya said: "We must learn from these various crises and firmly change the paradigm to produce what we consume and consume what we produce.”

He stressed that the ongoing global crises (the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, etc.) and their consequences, should serve as a wake-up call for all actors regarding the importance of protecting macroeconomic equilibrium, and the social resilience of vulnerable communities.

The minister’s words echo that of the Prime Minister who, during the first annual State-Private sector Consultation Framework meeting in March, urged economic operators to "produce and transform local products," not only for the benefit of the population but also to conquer the African market in the context of the African Free Trade Area (AFTAA).

Started since last February 24th, the Russian invasion in Ukraine caused global energy and food prices to explode. In addition to oil reaching levels not seen since 2014, global prices for grain products, milk and edible oils also peaked at record levels, according to experts.

Esaïe Edoh

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.