Lomé set to host an international summit on cybersecurity next week

ITC

Thursday, 21 October 2021 14:33

Lomé set to host an international summit on cybersecurity next week

(Togo First) - Lomé will host an international summit on cybersecurity on October 25 and 26, 2021. The forum is co-organized by Togo and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and should be attended by Heads of State, top private sector actors, and leaders of the African civil society.

During the meeting, participants will explore and assess the state of cybersecurity in Africa based on five aspects (legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, and cooperation), the state of cooperation regarding cybersecurity at the regional and global level, and the commitment to the Malabo convention on cybersecurity and private data protection.

1 SOMMET

Commenting on the upcoming meeting, Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Cina Lawson, said: “This Summit, which will be attended by eminent personalities, such as the President of the Togolese Republic, H.E. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBÉ, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Ms. Vera Songwe, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean Claude Kassi Brou, among others, aims to make cybersecurity a top priority for our States.”

“Now that the regulatory frameworks have mostly been put in place, we want to propose innovative ideas for operational cooperation, to address the threats, concretely and decisively. And given that our resources are limited, we have no choice but to work together,” she added.

Many political suggestions were made to the presidents expected at the Summit, on ways to boost cybersecurity in Africa.

In this regard, Lomé, it should be noted, has been taking steps over the past few years to reinforce its legal and operational framework in the sector. One of these steps includes the progressive implementation of the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANCY).

For more information about the Summit, visit its official website here.

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.