New Cross-Border Market Launches in Northern Togo to Drive Trade and Cohesion

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Wednesday, 15 October 2025 10:45

New Cross-Border Market Launches in Northern Togo to Drive Trade and Cohesion

(Togo First) - A new market opened on October 11, 2025, in Bengola, in the Cinkassé 1 commune, northern Togo. The five-hectare facility was built under the Social Cohesion Project (COSO), with support from the Local Authorities Support Fund (FACT) and USAID, as part of efforts to spur economic activity and strengthen community ties.

The Bengola market, which will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, includes five covered stalls, a butcher shop, a borewell, sanitation facilities, and sheltered trading areas. Situated near the point where Togo, Ghana and Burkina Faso meet, the market is expected to become a hub for regional trade and integration.

Cinkassé Prefect Colonel Yanani Tiekabe and Mayor Nagnango Koundjo welcomed the project, saying it supports the local economy while promoting peace and social cohesion.

The COSO project is a regional initiative aimed at strengthening economic and climate resilience among border communities in Gulf of Guinea countries, including Togo. Funded by the World Bank and implemented by the National Agency for Grassroots Development Support (ANADEB), it operates in 40 border districts, mainly in the Savanes region, with additional programs in Kara and Centrale.

Launched on June 17, 2022, COSO is scheduled to run until 2027. It was initially funded with 33 billion CFA francs, later increased by nearly 14 billion CFA francs, including a $23 million allocation dedicated to supporting local communities and refugees.

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)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

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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.