Charles Gafan Elected President of Togo's Association of Large Enterprises

Economy

Sunday, 21 June 2026 03:50

Charles Gafan Elected President of Togo's Association of Large Enterprises

(Togo First) - The Association of Large Enterprises of Togo (AGET) has entered a new phase in its development with the election of Charles Kokouvi Gafan as its president. The election took place during a General Assembly in Lomé on Friday, June 19, 2026.

The leadership transition comes at a pivotal moment for the country as the government prepares a new 2026-2031 roadmap expected to define economic priorities for the next five years.

Succeeding Jonas Daou, who led the organization for six years, Gafan assumes leadership of an association expected to play a central role in dialogue between public authorities and the private sector. Upon taking office, the new president said his mandate would focus on dialogue, collaboration and economic advocacy.

“We are aware of the challenges before us, but we are also driven by hope and an unwavering determination to contribute to the economic development of our beloved country,” he said, adding that “dialogue and collaboration” remain the best responses to current economic challenges.

The event also provided Economy and Strategic Monitoring Minister Badanam Patoki with an opportunity to underscore the importance of the private sector to the success of the future 2026-2031 roadmap.

According to Patoki, Togo’s economic transformation, the creation of sustainable jobs and industrial development cannot be achieved without a private sector that is “dynamic, competitive and ambitious.” Large companies, he said, possess significant strengths through their investment capacity and contribution to public revenues, among other factors.

The new presidency follows efforts undertaken during Jonas Daou’s tenure. During his mandate, AGET strengthened its credibility and influence within Togo’s business environment.

The outgoing president highlighted the complementary relationships maintained with the National Employers’ Council of Togo (CNP-Togo) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo). He also said that relations among employers’ organizations remained competitive but constructive, reflecting the vitality and dynamism of the private sector.

AGET also strengthened partnerships with several international institutions, notably the European Union delegation and the African Development Bank (AfDB), which supported the organization’s policy work, analysis and contributions to economic policymaking, according to the outgoing president.

Reflecting on his time at the head of the association, Jonas Daou described the experience as “exciting but demanding,” marked by the need to balance his responsibilities within AGET with the development of the Zener Group, which is engaged in a phase of transformation and regional expansion.

“Making AGET a stronger, more credible and more influential organization” was the guiding principle of his work during those six years.

The former president received a symbolic distinction from AGET members in recognition of his service. The award depicted horsemen in motion, representing the momentum built within the organization and the ambitions carried forward for the future.

With Charles Gafan now leading the association, AGET is entering a new stage of its development. As the government prepares the 2026-2031 roadmap, large companies intend to play a greater role in discussions on industrialization, competitiveness, investment and job creation.

S.A

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.