Togo tax authority and business groups seek closer cooperation

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Togo tax authority and business groups seek closer cooperation

Economic governance

Monday, 22 December 2025 07:35

Togo tax authority and business groups seek closer cooperation

OTR and private sector leaders met in Lomé to reset relations

Talks focused on tax rules, audits, and revenue collection reforms

Dialogue follows concerns raised by large companies over tax practices

In Togo, business operators and the tax administration held talks in Lomé late last week to establish a more constructive partnership based on dialog.

The initiative, led by Finance and Budget Minister Georges Barcola, brought together the commissioner general of the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR), Yawa Tségan, as well as the heads of the National Employers’ Council (CNP) and the Association of Large Enterprises (AGET), Laurent Tamégnon and Jonas Daou.

Discussions covered the current tax framework, audit and reassessment procedures, the overall tax burden, and recently adopted measures intended to improve the efficiency of the tax administration and strengthen public revenue collection. According to the finance ministry, the objective was to help both sides gain a clearer understanding of several key tax provisions.

“The main objective is to hold exchanges with the private sector, to try to clear up misunderstandings and move forward. We need to find a way to build a partnership between the private sector and the tax administration,” Barcola said.

The meeting followed recommendations set out in the fifth edition of AGET’s White Paper, which pointed to persistent disagreements over the interpretation of tax laws and to the adoption of certain reforms without prior consultation with economic operators. The current initiative is presented as a first step toward a more structured and permanent dialogue between the tax authority and the private sector.

Acknowledging that disagreements have existed for several years, the finance minister said he hopes to open a new phase of cooperation from 2026. He reiterated that the private sector remains a key driver of economic growth and a major contributor to national wealth creation.

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.