In the first quarter of this year 2022, the National Agency for Volunteerism in Togo (ANVT), has mobilized 7,929 volunteers. This is 7% more than the agency's initial forecast of 7,361 mobilized volunteers, counting for temporary jobs. Over the same period, 57 jobs were created and 15 volunteers were trained.

These figures come from the government agency, as part of its ongoing quarterly review, aimed at assessing the level of implementation of the achievements of the Annual Work Plan 2022. The review also concerns the Regional Volunteer Centers (VRC), local branches of the institution.

As a reminder, the ANVT was created by presidential decree in July 2014, replacing the National Volunteer Program (Provonat). Since then, the Agency, which annually mobilizes volunteers in support of various development sectors, has enrolled more than 50,000 volunteers, including more than 25,000 women.

During a recent visit to the Hanoukopé market, where a fire broke out last Sunday, the Togolese minister of trade, Kodjo Adedze, said measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The official was with some of his peers, namely Adjovi Lonlongno Apedo, minister for women promotion, Myriam Dossou-d’Almeida, minister for grassroots development and youth employment, and Mazamesso Assih, minister of financial inclusion.

“We have seen the damage caused by this fire. We extend all of the government’s compassion to our sisters,” Adedze said, referring to women who lost their merchandise in the fire. “After this visit,” he added, “a report should be issued to make sure that adequate actions are taken to mitigate this fire’s impact.”

“The government will take all its responsibilities. That is certain,” he reassured while noting that losses caused by the incident are already being assessed.

The recent fire happened only a few days after another that hit Kpalimé’s old market, causing significant damage, on the night of March 24-25.

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) wants to help Togo develop projects falling under its 2020-2025 government roadmap. The head of the institution,  George Agyekum Donkor, expressed this ambition on April 12, 2022, as he met with Togolese PM, Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé.

The Bank is looking to invest in energy, technology, and digitalization projects. “The government's roadmap (for projects, ed. note) in the energy, technology, and digitalization sectors aligns with EBID's financing initiatives. We are therefore here to bolster this partnership and to ensure that EBID can support Togo in these areas,” Donkor said. 

“These types of meetings are necessary to improve our relationships,” he declared after the meeting.

The EBID’s headquarters is located in Togo. The institution regroups 15 ECOWAS member States.

Esaïe Edoh

On April 12, 2022, Togolese deputies passed a bill revising the country’s immigration policy. The new law sets the general conditions of entry, stay, establishment, and exit of foreigners in Togo and should make it even more attractive for tourists and economic operators.

According to the parliamentarians, the vote to update the law whose first version dates from November 1987 aligns with “the desire to harmonize all these procedures and to take into account the new parameters, including the need to digitize procedures related to the application and establishment of the visa and residence card, hence contributing to the country’s modernization and strengthening its structures, per the third axis of the government roadmap.” 

Yawa Tsègan, president of the National Assembly, said the new bill aims to be “the legal instrument that is most adapted to the policy dedicated to the management of migration flows in our country.”

For his part, the Minister of Human Rights, Citizenship Training and Relations with the Institutions of the Republic, Christian Trimua, noted that the updating of the texts responds to concerns related to the safeguarding of national peace and security which are threatened by terrorism and violent extremism, banditry, and illegal cross-border trafficking, among others.

“Foreigners will continue to feel at home, safe in a harmonious and peaceful city with all the Togolese people,” Trimua said.

The new law is composed of 32 articles grouped into seven chapters.

Esaïe Edoh

During their latest council, on April 10, Togolese ministers issued a draft decree covering procedures related to the provision and execution of public-private partnerships (PPPs). 

“This draft decree is aimed at strengthening the legal framework of public-private partnership contracts, and will facilitate the implementation of provisions relating to the award and execution of public-private partnership contracts,” according to the Council's statement. The draft “specifies the rules governing the preparation, award, control, execution and regulation of public-private partnership contracts concluded by the contracting authorities to meet their needs,” the statement adds.

The move happens in a context where Togo has been turning more towards PPPs to meet its development ambitions. For example, PPPs are preferred for infrastructure projects like Blitta’s 50MW PV solar plant or Adétikopé’s Industrial Platform (PIA).

The issuance of the new draft decree, it should be emphasized, has been on the table for some months now. In September 2021, Lomé revealed that it was working on a new legal framework for PPPs. The latter aimed to “support our country’s policy to constantly improve its business climate, and carry out big structuring projects easily,” the government said at the time.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The motor vehicle tax, which is collected by the Tax Revenue Authority (OTR) has been suspended in Togo, the government announced on Monday, April 11.

Lomé in the corresponding statement said the suspension “aims to mitigate inflation’s impact on the transport of goods and people.” This, in a context where transport prices have soared due to the increase in fuel prices; an increase endorsed by the government last month to match the surge in world oil prices, consequential of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The decision to suspend the TVM was taken by the minister of finance, Sani Yaya, and the minister of road transport, Affoh Atcha-Dedji. The authorities were first thinking of reducing the fee but later opted for its suspension. An operation to monitor its effective payment should have begun this month.

Despite the move being lauded on social networks, it would prevent the State from earning nearly CFA2 billion in tax revenues. Under the 2022 finance law, the OTR was tasked with raising this sum; 85% of the projected revenues were supposed to go to the Société Autonome de Financement de l’Entretien Routier (SAFER), 10% to finance the budget, and the remaining 5% to the tax office.

Reintroduced in 2019, the motor vehicle tax was restructured. It helped the SAFER raise about CFA1.32 billion in 2020, and over a billion in the first half of 2021.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Henceforth, members of the Togolese diaspora will benefit from a 12% reduction on Asky’s flight tickets. The Togolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Integration, and Togolese Abroad signed an agreement to this end on April 5.

The discount applies to flights in both the business and economy class, regardless of the destination.

Also, the pan-African airlines said it would “waive the penalty for the first date change made 72 hours before the date of travel.”

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only Togolese abroad with a valid Togolese passport or national identity card and their consular card can benefit from the 12% discount. The ministry also explained that the agreement “was advocated because the majority of the Togolese diaspora is in Africa and this company (Asky) serves many African cities.” Other negotiations are underway with other companies, Robert Dussey’s department added.

It should be noted that for some years now, Togolese authorities have been mobilizing the diaspora to get it to invest more in local development projects. 

Esaïe Edoh

Germany committed more than CFA65 billion to Togo last year. The figure was mentioned during a strategic meeting between officials from the two countries–a meeting held in Lomé on April 8, 2022.

The money was used to finance a set of reforms validated in March 2021 by the two partners.

During the meeting, Lars Wilke, Director of West Africa at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and head of the German delegation said: "Most of the reform indicators we agreed on last year are on track. I am confident that it will be possible to fully achieve the goals we have set together by the next intergovernmental negotiations.”

Satisfied with the progress made so far, the Togolese and German officials suggested recommendations for new commitments to further bolster their political and economic cooperation. These commitments cover the sectors of health, climate, and renewable energy, in line with Togo’s 2020-2025 government roadmap.

Germany, let’s emphasize, also supports Togo in implementing development policies, especially relative to the management of the Covid-induced health crisis.

Esaïe Edoh