Togo Launches National SME Week to Boost Business Growth

Economic governance

Friday, 30 May 2025 17:27

Togo Launches National SME Week to Boost Business Growth

(Togo First) - Togo kicked off the second edition of its National Week for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (SN-TPME) on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The event, running until June 5, stretches across several cities and focuses on the theme: “Development and Competitiveness of Togolese TPMEs: Building Solutions for Sustainable Growth.”

Government officials and entrepreneurs gathered to tackle the big issues facing Togolese small businesses. Organizers want everyone to brainstorm and find ways to make these businesses more competitive and sustainable. This year, the event aims to rally support and address the structural challenges holding back the country’s entrepreneurs.

Minister of Grassroots Development, Youth and Youth Employment, Mazamesso Assih, urged participants to get involved. “It’s true that as a government, we can do things, but we can only do what corresponds to the needs that you yourselves identify and express,” she said. She reminded everyone that TPMEs make up more than 90% of Togo’s formal businesses.

The week features workshops, technical presentations, and roundtables. After opening in Greater Lomé, the SN-TPME caravan heads to Tsévié in the Maritime region on May 29 and 30. It then moves to Atakpamé for the Plateaux region on June 1 and 2, then Sokodé in the Central region on June 3 and 4, and finally Kara from June 3 to 5, covering both Kara and Savanes regions.

Organizations representing SMEs launched the national SME week in 2024. The event is quickly becoming a platform for dialogue, analysis, and real solutions. After the first edition, organizers identified major challenges and published them in a white paper. This document now guides some government actions to support the sector.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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.