In line with ongoing land reforms, the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) will equip next month the single land desk. Two firms, namely CIS AFRICA and HI-TECH INFORMATIQUE, have been picked for this purpose through a tender launched under the Tax Governance Support Project (PAGFI).

The first company will supply IT and office equipment while the second will supply specific equipment for the desk. The equipment is valued at more than XOF275 million.
The equipping of the desk marks a step forward toward its operationalization.

Let's recall that, by establishing a single land desk, the government's objective is to reduce costs related to deed issuance and offset risks associated with land-related formalities. All formalities relative to land registration should take place at the desk, official sources indicate.

Séna Akoda

A minimum quota of local products will be integrated to meals offered in hotels and restaurants operating in Togo. The measure aims to promote local production, processing and consumption, which are impaired by a high importation level.

“Through this initiative, the Head of State wants to improve consumption of local products,” reports local newspaper Kamgou citing minister of agriculture Noël Bataka (photo).

In February 2019, on the sidelines of a cabinet reshuffling, the ministry of Trade, now headed by former chief commissioner of the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR), Kodjo Adedze, was tasked with ensuring that consumption of local products rises.

In order to ensure ships’ safety, by preventing overloading, Togo has decided to ratify the protocol of 1988 relating to the international convention on load lines, 1966.

Ratifying the 1988 protocol will in effect introduce a new harmonized visit and certification system, hence raising the reputation of Togo, in regards to international maritime institutions. Doing so will make the country more attractive and contribute to the first axis of Lomé’s national development plan. The latter is to make the nation a logistics hub and first-class business center in West Africa.

Regarding the London convention, its goal is to ease and simplify all procedures related to arrival, stay and departure of ships, in the framework of international trips.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

During the ministers’ council last May 15, the government of Togo approved the country’s adhesion to the London convention signed April 9, 1965 aimed at easing international maritime traffic.

In effect, the convention’s goal is to make maritime transport more accessible by simplifying related formalities for international travels.

Thus, Togo adhering to the convention should simplify administrative procedures in the sector of maritime transport and make the country more attractive. It should also help it get more partners to implement its 2018-2022 national development plan (PND).

Indeed, under the first strategic axis of the PND, Togo aims to become a logistics hub and first-class business center in West Africa. A goal that leverages the country’s good geographical situation and its deep-water port.

Séna Akoda

Togolese artisans now have access to health insurance. The mechanism put in place by the National Health Insurance Institute (INAM) and the ministries of health and social protection was launched May 14, at the Palais de congrès de Lomé.

According to the ministry of craftsmanship, the measure falls under axis 3 of the PND. In the next three years, more than 100,000 artisans should in its framework have an insurance covering non-professional health issues.

“Social protection for artisans falls under a process aimed at gradually covering all social layers in the country, after public administration,” said Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, minister of craftsmanship and youth.

Craftsmanship has for some years now been recording a rapid growth in Togo. In 2017, it represented 18% of the GDP, helping reduce trade balance by 20%, and employing more than a million people.

In Togo, the bill to revise the constitution was voted, unanimously, yesterday by the parliament.

The new bill restricts the presidential term to five years renewable once and for a president to be elected, he or she will be elected through uninominal suffrage, according to a majority, two rounds system. 

Mandates of deputies and members of the constitutional court have also been limited. Both are elected for a period of six years but the first can renew their term twice while the second group can only do so once. 

Let’s emphasize that “completed or ongoing terms at the date at which the present bill becomes effective will not be taken into account for the implementation of measures set by articles 52 and 59 relative to term limit.”

In Togo, almost all land titles have been digitalized, with only one percent left. The remaining titles are those that date back to German colonization which are yet to be found. This was revealed in the latest report on progress made with structural reforms agreed with IMF, under its extended credit facility (ECF).

At the end of 2018, 95% of the titles had been digitalized (43,880 titles out of 46,183).

This project is part of many to improve Togo’s land sector. Related works include attending to 500 cases, mostly land-related, pending at the Supreme Court ; new laws regulating transfers of land to foreigners ; or the recently introduced measures forcing those owning private agricultural lands in rural areas to valorize them, in order to avoid speculation.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

To better identify the needs of financially vulnerable households in need of public aid, a unified social registry (RSU) is at its operationalization stage. These tools should help better target vulnerable households and individuals, across of all Togo’s regions, for the various ongoing social projects.

The initiative which was developed in partnership with the World Bank was presented during a sensitization meeting with local authorities and administrative actors, on March 6, 2019.

According to Hawa Cissé Wagué, resident representative of World Bank in Togo, the RSU will ease the institution’s actions, especially those relating to its objectives to reduce extreme poverty by 2030, and foster a strong and inclusive growth. “By properly identifying beneficiaries, we will be able to provide them subsidies needed, in the form of money transfers or through our social canteen program with Togo,” the representative added.

For Togolese authorities, the initiative aligns with a social mandate, which converges with the third axis of the national development plan (PND).

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, notaries reviewed their fees for direct property sales and property transfers. This was decided during the extraordinary general assembly of notaries held last Jan. 31, in Lomé.

The new fees were set based on the property’s value, instead of degressive rates used previously.

“In the past, this rate was degressive and for properties worth more than sixteen to twenty million CFA francs (World Bank study), the fee perceived was about CFA350,000, against 250,000 currently),” said Sandra Johnson, State secretary and Coordinator of the Business Climate Cell (CCA).

From now on, notaries’ charges stand at CFA100,000 for properties  worth less than CFA1 million, CFA150,000 for properties worth between one to five million. For properties worth between five to ten million, notaries will charge CFA200,000 and CFA250,000 for properties worth between 10 to 22.5 million.

“For sales or transfers of property valued at more than 22.5 million, notaries’ charges remain the same as before,”  the new provision indicates.

All rural arable land owned by private entities or individuals must be valorized or they will be trusted to any investor who legally requests to do so.

Last Wednesday, this decision was adopted in a decree passed by the council of ministers held that day. According to the decree, “in the event a land is passed from one owner to another that requested to valorize it, the new owner must use the land in line with leasing conditions.”

The new decree, it should be noted, falls under the country’s new private and public land code, adopted last June. This regulation aims at ensuring the good implementation of Togo’s national agricultural strategy, preserving environment, and making the economy more attractive.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi