Togo First
Greenhouse Gas: Togo launches electric mobility project in the road sector
In line with its goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Togo launched on Sept 5 the "Transition to Electric Mobility" project. The latter will be deployed over the next four years, thanks to an CFA800 million fund from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
In detail, the project will involve setting up an integrated, sustainable, and low-emission transport system, and converting vehicles that use fossil fuels or thermal energy into those that use electrical energy.
In this framework, awareness sessions are planned. So are capacity-building sessions for actors in the transport sector.
According to a report cited by the Togolese ministry of environment, 56% of all CO2 emissions the country produced in 2018 came from road transport.
Written by: Esaïe Edoh
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
African Union: Lomé hosts Amnesty Month in Africa, for the first time
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) began Amnesty Month in Africa (AMA) on Monday 5 September 2022 in Lomé. At this edition, which is part of the "Silencing the Guns in Africa" initiative, experts from the Council Member States will federate their efforts to end the circulation of small arms in Africa by 2030.
Specifically, the initiative aims to sensitize and encourage civilians to voluntarily, and anonymously, hand over illicit weapons they have, without risking prosecution.
"It also aims to promote Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs, as well as to encourage the participation of African civil society, including youth and women, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and the media," the organizers said. The move “will, among others, foster the surrender of illicit firearms by civilians during Africa Amnesty Month,” said Amma Twum-Amoah, president of the PSC.
This is the first time that the AMA is held outside Addis Ababa, the AU’s base.
According to the AU, more than 40 million illicit weapons are still circulating in Africa, causing more than 500,000 deaths each year.
On the day the AMA was launched in Lomé, Togolese authorities destroyed more than 2,000 illicit weapons of various calibers that had been seized in the country.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo produced more corn last year than in 2020
Togo produced 929,000 metric tons of corn in 2021. The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) disclosed the estimate in its 2021 annual report.
According to the apex bank, last year’s output exceeds 2020’s by 4.5%. That year, the report notes, the country’s corn output stood at 885,000 Mt, against 912,000 Mt in 2019. In 2020, let’s recall, Togo had just been hit by the pandemic.
Corn is the main food crop in Togo. In 2021, it represented 66% of the 1.4 million tons of cereal production (maize, rice, sorghum, and millet).
The crop is grown on more than 700,000 hectares, according to the most recent data; that is 40% of the area devoted to food crops. In 2019, corn was grown by about 1,500,000 producers all over the country, according to the Directorate of Agricultural Statistics, Information Technology, and Documentation (DSID).
Written by: Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
WAEMU-securities: Togo has paid back CFA264 billion so far this year
From January to August 2022, Togo paid back CFA264 billion of the money it borrowed from the WAEMU securities market.
This amount, according to the data obtained by Togo First, breaks down into 27.5 billion fungible treasury bills and 263.3 billion fungible treasury bonds.
Lomé should pay another CFA19 billion this month.
So far in 2022, Togo has borrowed CFA407 billion on the regional money market, out of an annual target of CFA550 billion. The funds are used to finance the country’s budget.
Togo’s capital will host a meeting on ECOWAS Education Agency this week
Lomé will host, this week, a key meeting organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Scheduled for September 6 and 7, the meeting will gather experts from the region’s member States who will review the project to create the ECOWAS Education Agency.
The meeting will focus on the validation of the feasibility study report on this agency. According to a press release issued by the ECOWAS, the event will be organized through the Human Development and Social Affairs Department of the ECOWAS Commission.
Participants will look at “the most cost-effective way to set up and manage the ECOWAS Education Agency,” the statement reads. They will explore education strategies and practices in the different Member States of ECOWAS, as well as requirements (infrastructure, equipment, organization chart, personnel, and budget) to establish the agency.
“It is expected that at the end of this important meeting, relevant recommendations on the establishment and viability of the Agency and the appropriate strategy for resources mobilization will be made.”
The ECOWAS Education Agency project was in the pipeline since 2017. It was brought up during the ECOWAS Ministers of Education meeting held that year.
Written by: Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
Biometric I.D: Togolese government wishes to regulate personal data processing
As part of its ongoing biometric ID project, the Togolese government wants to regulate the related data processing and updating. Last Wednesday, Aug 31, the council of ministers examined a draft decree on the modalities of registration, rectification, and updating of demographic and biometric data of individuals and conditions for using the unique ID number in the country.
"This decree defines practical modalities for implementing registration procedures relative to the allocation of unique identification numbers," the council’s statement reads.
In Togo, the implementation of a single ID number is carried out by the National Identification Agency (ANID), and backed by the WURI program in which the World Bank poured about $400 million. The WURI covers six West African countries.
While negotiations on the regulatory framework are underway, ANID says the biometric registration platform for Togolese residents should be ready by the end of 2022.
With their unique ID number, people should access both public and private services and travel across ECOWAS more easily. The database built in the process should also enable the country to better target certain types of support programs, knowingly those benefiting vulnerable populations.
Written by: Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
Which bank has the most customers in Togo?
Besides being the bank that provides most loans and gets most deposits in Togo, Orabank has the most clients. In 2021, the lender reported having 327,230 accounts, coming ahead of Ecobank with its 257,274 accounts.
Regarding the year-to-year evolution of the customer base, Orabank was second last year with a 33% increase compared to 2020. It was behind Coris Bank but ahead of BSIC (+14%), Ecobank (+11%), and UTB (+8%). The latter, let’s note, is still the only State-owned bank in Togo, though it is about to be privatized.
In contrast with these five banks, BIA- owned by the Moroccan Attijariwafa, Sunu Bank, and IB Bank, ex-BTCI now owned by Ebomaf’s boss Mahamadou Bonkoungou, all lost clients last year.
Coris Bank International, which has been growing strongly for the past two years, saw the number of accounts opened on its books rise from 91 to 25,958. The upward trend is equally noticeable in the other indicators of the bank of Burkinabe Idrissa Nassa. The banking group became WAEMU’s 3rd largest banking group in 2021, outpacing major actors like Oragroup, BOA, Attijariwafa...
According to some observers, Coris’ impressive record in Togo could be due to the bank changing its target market. It used to serve only corporate customers.
Written by: Fiacre E. Kakpo
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
How did the Togolese State finance its budget in Q1 2022? (Report)
In the first quarter of this year, the Togolese State mobilized CFA369 billion to finance its expenditures. This is 20.79% of its forecast for 2022. The figure was disclosed in a report recently issued by the ministry of finance, entitled "State Budget Execution Report, Fiscal Year 2022 - End of March."
In detail, the country, between January and March, financed its budget with CFA183 billion from tax revenues, and over CFA21 billion from non-tax revenues.
Around CFA15 billion of grants (budgetary support) add up to these, bringing the total budgetary revenue used to finance the first quarter budget to CFA221 billion.
Meanwhile, cash resources for the same period amounted to CFA148 billion out of an annual projection of CFA705 billion. These included project loans (CFA16 billion) and public securities (CFA132 billion).
Compared to the first quarter of 2021, the funds collected this year, between January and March were down by 1.33%.
Written by:Esaïe Edoh
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
Togo: Over a billion CFA mobilized for the youth in H1 2022, the ministry of grassroots development says
In Togo, the ministry of grassroots development and youth employment mobilized slightly more than a billion CFA for young local entrepreneurs in the first half of this year. The ministry disclosed the amount on September 1, 2022, in its semestrial report.
Other key figures reported in the document include the number of micro and medium enterprises (MMEs) established over the period (1,459), the number of jobs generated (7,219 permanent and 43,793 temporary), socio-economic infrastructure built (36 including mainly peripheral health centers, schools, and markets). Ultimately, all these projects aim to help people get greater access to basic social services.
In its report, the ministry added that it carried out, through its youth-support component, awareness-raising campaigns on citizenship, human rights, and social issues. These campaigns covered about 130,000 young girls and boys.
There were also hot meals provided to 127,000 preschool and primary school pupils in the public education system. This was done under the ministry’s school canteen program.
Written by:Esaïe Edoh
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho
Lomé borrows CFA33 billion more on the WAEMU-securities market
Togo’s latest operation on the WAEMU’s money market was a success. It raised last Friday CFA33 billion, which is three billion more than it was seeking through the simultaneous issue of recovery bonds.
The CFA33 billion were retained out of around 72 billion mobilized by 30 investors. This represents a subscription rate of 242%.
Bonds issued have a nominal value of CFA10,000 and respective maturities of five (5) and seven (7) years. Securities that will mature over five years have an annual interest rate of 5.7%; the others have an interest rate of 5.9% per annum.
Lomé will use the funds to finance its post-Covid economic recovery strategy.
So far this year, Togo has raised CFA407 billion on the regional market. This is out of CFA550 billion, its target for 2022.
Written by:Esaïe Edoh
Translated from French by Schadrac Akinocho