Togo Postpones Mayoral Elections Again, Citing Logistical Concerns

Politics

Wednesday, 10 September 2025 15:26

Togo Postpones Mayoral Elections Again, Citing Logistical Concerns

(Togo First) - KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Second delay pushes elections from Sept 10-12 to Sept 17-19, ensuring participation of all 1,527 councilors
• Decentralization milestone launches new municipal term across 117 communes in ongoing power transfer since 2019
• Democratic scrutiny attracts close monitoring from political stakeholders and international development partner

Togo has postponed its mayoral elections for the second time in less than a month, pushing the vote from September 10-12 to September 17-19 as authorities seek to ensure full participation of all elected municipal councilors.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration announced the delay, citing the need to improve logistical organization and guarantee that all 1,527 municipal councilors elected in July can participate in selecting mayors and their deputies across the country's 117 communes.

The elections were originally scheduled for September 2-4 before being moved to this week. Public authorities emphasized their commitment to creating conditions for a transparent, inclusive process that complies with current legislation.

The mayoral appointments will officially launch the new municipal term, installing local executives who will play crucial roles in implementing development policies, managing resources, and advancing decentralization priorities throughout the country.

The electoral process carries particular significance as part of Togo's broader decentralization effort, which has been transferring powers from the central government to local authorities since 2019. This gradual shift represents a cornerstone of the nation's territorial governance strategy.

Both political stakeholders and development partners are closely monitoring the smooth conduct of these internal elections, recognizing their importance for strengthening democratic governance at the local level.

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.