Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo’s Council of Ministers, participated this week in the 80th-anniversary commemoration of the United Nations Charter. During the event, he reaffirmed Togo’s dedication to multilateralism and called for a rebalancing of the global order.

Speaking from the UN podium, Gnassingbé lauded the Charter as a historic milestone and a foundational document for an international order built on peace, justice, and national sovereignty. However, he highlighted a clear paradox: while the Charter’s principles are more relevant than ever, they are facing significant challenges.

He stated, "The principles of the Charter are more necessary than ever, yet more than ever under strain from protracted conflicts, the climate emergency, deepening inequalities, and a crisis of confidence in multilateralism."

Gnassingbé added emphatically, "Preserving its spirit is no longer enough. We must strengthen it."

He urged a reform of global institutions to make them "more representative, more responsive, and more just." He also stressed the importance of positioning Africa at the center of global transformation, not merely as a recipient of support, but as a key driver of change.

Togo became a member of the United Nations on September 20, 1960, after accepting the Charter on May 21 of that year.

Togo's government is intensifying efforts to regulate and professionalize its insurance brokerage sector. A national training seminar, initiated by the National Directorate of Insurance under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, officially opened on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The seminar aims to significantly increase professionalism within the sector.

This gathering signals an ambition to structurally reform the intermediation market. Officials recognize this market as a crucial, though still fragile, pillar of Togo's financial system.

The government is now emphasizing stricter regulatory oversight. For example, any approval for a brokerage company leader now requires a morality investigation. This requirement, introduced in 2024, seeks to rebuild trust and guarantee the integrity of industry participants.

Despite these efforts, several persistent challenges remain. One of the most alarming issues is an outstanding balance of unpaid premiums that exceeded CFA2.5 billion in 2024. This debt jeopardizes company solvency, destabilizes the value chain, and erodes the sector’s credibility.

Koffi Elom Masé, Director of Insurance, stated, "Intermediaries must be guarantors of trust, transparency, and rigor."

Inspections have revealed various flaws, including irregularities in regulatory reports, governance shortcomings, and a limited understanding of CIMA standards, which govern the industry.

In light of these findings, the sector faces calls for reorganization. The Council of Insurers of Togo (CAT), however, points to encouraging progress. The market expanded from CFA62 billion in 2019 to CFA98 billion in 2024, marking a 57% increase. This growth underscores the market's strong potential, provided that fundamental improvements in governance and professionalism are made.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Lomé has been hosting the second edition of the African Meetings for Educational Resources, known as RARE, since Tuesday, June 24. Initiated and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), and implemented by UNESCO and the Institut Français, the project aims to improve equitable access for primary and secondary school students to a broad range of high-quality educational resources.

Over three days, representatives from Ministries of Education and Culture will gather. They will join book industry professionals, including publishers, booksellers, and authors, from 13 French-speaking sub-Saharan African countries. The participants will address various themes. The goal is to highlight progress made since 2020, share lessons learned, and plan how to sustain these achievements.

"These three days mark more than just another edition. They represent the culmination of five years of shared effort, collective commitment, and innovation in service of educational quality in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa," said Guillaume Husson, Head of the Education sector at UNESCO’s West Africa Regional Office. "Since 2020, the Educational Resources project has supported 13 countries in a bold initiative. This initiative is to rethink, structure, enrich, and provide access to relevant, inclusive resources adapted to local contexts. National policies that are more grounded in each country's realities are beginning to emerge."

Participants hope the event will strengthen collaboration between public and private sectors, educational stakeholders, and technical partners. They also aim to improve the quality of resources, considering new digital tools, and encourage sharing across countries. Most importantly, they seek to ensure real access to educational materials for those who need them most, including students, teachers, and schools.

Isaac Tchiakpe, Minister of Technical Education, Vocational Training, and Apprenticeship, emphasized Togo’s commitment. "Since 2020, Togo has undertaken a series of structural reforms to deeply modernize its education system and boost its effectiveness," he stated. "These reforms, built around the Government Roadmap (FDR 2020 to 2025) and the Education Sector Plan (PSE 2020 to 2030), reflect our commitment to making education a cornerstone of human and economic development in our country." He reiterated Togo’s dedication to advancing educational resources.

The first edition of RARE took place in 2022 in Dakar, Senegal.

Togo's tax authority, the Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR), collected 1.36 billion CFA francs in Motor Vehicle Tax (TVM) during the first quarter of 2025. This figure, reviewed by Togo First and sourced from the General Directorate of Budget and Finance (DGBF), marks a slight 0.56% increase from the 1.35 billion CFA francs collected in the same period of 2024.

The amount collected represents 40% of the annual TVM forecast, which is 3.39 billion CFA francs. This modest increase reflects a consistent upward trend in recent years, primarily due to stricter adherence to the tax schedule.

Since 2024, the OTR has intensified its enforcement of TVM payments, eliminating extensions. Authorities now emphasize full compliance with the payment window outlined in the General Tax Code, which sets March 31 as the annual deadline.

Officials attribute the improved performance partly to streamlined payment procedures, especially the launch of an online payment platform in January 2024. This platform has made it easier for taxpayers to comply.

The TVM applies to all motor vehicles registered in Togo. Fees range from 5,000 to 40,000 CFA francs, depending on the vehicle type. This includes motorcycles with engine capacities of 125cc or more, tricycles, utility vehicles, trucks, buses, and heavy-duty carriers.

Although the official deadline is March 31, collections continue beyond this date. The tax, introduced in January 2019, is allocated to the Société Autonome de Financement de l’Entretien Routier (SAFER), which is responsible for maintaining Togo's road infrastructure.

Esaïe Edoh

The Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) collected 258.06 billion CFA francs in tax revenue during the first quarter of 2025. This marks a 5.81% increase compared to the 243.89 billion CFA francs collected in the same period of 2024, according to figures from the Directorate General of Budget and Finance reviewed by Togo First.

Despite this positive trend, the amount collected by the end of March represents only 21.36% of the annual target, which is set at 1,208.36 billion CFA francs.

Driving Revenue Growth

The revenue increase is partly due to a rise in corporate income tax (IS) collections, which reached 31.47 billion CFA francs, up 15.31% from 27.30 billion in the same period last year. A broadened tax base has supported this trend.

Additionally, the introduction of a new tax on telecommunications and information technology companies (TETTIC) under the 2025 Finance Law contributed to the revenue growth. This levy, set at 5% of telecom operators’ pre-tax turnover, generated 1.30 billion CFA francs by the end of March 2025.

The tax authority attributes this performance to several structural reforms. These include implementing the revised ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) within the SYDONIA customs system, stricter territorial surveillance, and reinforced tax and customs controls.

In 2024, OTR mobilized 1,098 billion CFA francs in revenue. The target for 2025 is 1,208.36 billion CFA francs.

Esaïe Edoh

The European Union is providing €10 million in new funding to four West African coastal countries including Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana. This support aims to address the increasing migration pressure stemming from conflicts in the central Sahel region.

According to UNHCR, this funding is part of the regional "Unity" initiative. It is designed to assist forcibly displaced individuals, particularly those fleeing Burkina Faso, as well as the host communities in the northern regions of these countries.

The project, set to run for two years, will be implemented by four UN agencies (UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, and WFP). They'll work in close coordination with national authorities, especially Togo's, and local partners.

The initiative has a dual objective. It aims to meet immediate humanitarian needs, and it also seeks to lay the groundwork for inclusive and sustainable development. Key areas of intervention include improving access to education, healthcare, decent housing, income-generating activities, and strengthening local food systems.

This European facility will bolster the ongoing efforts by governments and civil society, including Togo's PURS program, particularly in the northern parts of the country. The goal is to preserve social cohesion in these localities and in border zones that are exposed to security risks.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi