Togo First
Togo: Worship places and big bars allowed to reopen
In Togo, places of worship and “large bars”, previously closed due to health measures adopted since September 10, have been allowed to reopen.
The government made the announcement last Friday, via a statement issued by the ministers of territorial administration and culture.
“Considering the evolution of the infection in our country and after an exchange with the actors, the places of worship are now authorized to open, while taking into account the list of places of worship that were authorized to open before the closure measure,” said the Togolese authorities. At the same time, mobile vaccination structures will be deployed near these places of worship.
Similarly, they inform that “taking into account the evolution of the epidemiological situation in our country and discussions with the actors of the sectors concerned, the measures are adjusted as follows: the opening of large bars is authorized with an awareness campaign conducted by managers who will encourage customers to get vaccinated.” Authorities added that “vaccination facilities will be set up near large bars”.
Vaccination pass still mandatory
However, the obligation to present a vaccination pass before accessing administrative buildings is still compulsory, according to the government which emphasizes that “other measures remain in force.”
The measures, some of which have just been lifted, “will be adjusted depending on how the pandemic evolves in the country,” the ministers of territorial administration and tourism said. Also, restrictions implemented last month “will be systematically reintroduced if cases increase significantly.”
To date, Togo has officially recorded 1,310 active cases of Covid-19, with 235 deaths recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, and a total of 2,531 cumulative cases.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo: Audit Court records new reform
The Togolese parliament adopted, last Thursday, two laws that enact a reform extending the Audit Court's powers. The reform aims to enable the Court to adapt to the new context of decentralization and meet WAEMU standards.
The first law concerns the organization and functioning of the Court of Accounts and regional courts, while the second affects the status of magistrates in these jurisdictions. Their adoption should ultimately improve the management of public finances.
The changes allow the Audit Court to assess public policies, issue opinions on annual performance reports, monitor financial controllers and program managers. They also emphasize the institution’s independence and financial autonomy, as well as its jurisdictional competence in the new territorial entities. Other provisions include the introduction of a system of renewable terms of office with an age limit of 65 years and the annual evaluation of magistrates.
Other complementary provisions have also been added, such as the removal of the limit on the total number of magistrates and its increase, the obligation for the court to audit its accounts annually, and to have its performance periodically evaluated by its peers or by the WAEMU Court of Accounts, and the inclusion of a provision on exceptions to constitutionality, among others.
The two laws recently passed were in the pipeline since the beginning of the year. They were defended before the legislature by Christian Trimua, minister in charge of human rights and government spokesman. Trimua lauded their adoption, saying it aligns with the reform of public finance management that Togo launched in 2008.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Reform partnership: GIZ seeks technical advisor
GIZ, the German cooperation agency, is looking for a technical advisor (monitoring and communication) to join its team steering the German-Togo partnership for reforms. Recruitment ends on October 17, 2021.
The hired consultant will manage information related to the partnership’s planning and implementation. It will also technically support the Ministry of Planning, Development and Cooperation (MPDC) as strategic coordinator of the partnership with all other administrations involved.
As a reminder, the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development had committed, last March, to stimulate the reforms of the Togolese macroeconomic framework on behalf of the G20's Compact with Africa (CwA) program. This was after talks with the Togolese foreign affairs minister, Robert Dussey, who was in Berlin at the time.
Togo to open an embassy in Saudi Arabia
Togo will open an embassy in Saudi Arabia. The announcement was made last week by Togolese foreign affairs minister, Robert Dussey.
The decision aligns with efforts by the two nations to improve their relations. In this framework, several agreements should be signed in a few months. These include notably a memorandum of understanding between the Togolese and Saudi chambers of commerce, a deal to boost and protect the countries’ reciprocal investments, and another to boost technical, economic, and trade cooperation.
Regarding security, Togo said it would like to be supported by the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology to fight against terrorism. As a result, an MoU was announced to this end.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
President Erdogan expected in Lomé on October 20
President Recep Erdogan from Turkey should be in Lomé on Oct. 20, 2021, for an official visit. The news was disclosed by TVNET, a Turkish media.
According to the same source, the leader, who will meet President Gnassingbe, will first be in Angola (October 17), and Nigeria (October 18).
President Erdogan’s trip to Togo is announced at a time when Lomé and Ankara want to boost their cooperation, economically notably. Last August, 13th, President Erdogan and President Gnassingbe, several media reported, had a phone call to discuss regional and bilateral issues.
At the time, Erdogan had also hinted at strengthening cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of defense. Partnership agreements are thus expected to be signed during his visit -the first- to Lomé.
President Erdogan comes after several trips to Ankara by Togolese officials, including Togo’s foreign affairs minister, Robert Dussey, and the minister of security, Yark Damehane.
Last April, Turkey opened an embassy in Togo.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo: Microfinance loans up 38% in Q2 2021, y/y
Togolese microfinance institutions loaned CFA47 billion between April and June 2021. That is CFA10 billion more than they did in the quarter before, and 38% more than in Q2 2020.
Similarly, loans by traditional banks stood at CFA217 billion in Q2 2021, up by 59% compared to the same quarter last year. Results for Q1 2021 were also satisfying, according to conclusions of the latest National Credit Council which was chaired by Minister-Counsellor Simfeitcheou Pré.
In parallel, by the end of June 2021, banks and microfinance institutions were, respectively, able to recover more than half and a third of their outstanding debt. “All these encouraging evolutions helped increase lending to the economy by 4%, year-to-year, to stand at 1,376 billion at June 30, 2021; that is 30% of the GDP,” the ministry of finance and economy indicated.
Though he lauded managers of banks and microfinance institutions for their results, Simfeitcheou Pré still urged them to lower their interest rates and lend more to very small and medium-sized businesses, explaining that the low financing of these enterprises “was impairing their contribution to wealth and job creation.” The Minister-Counsellor added that lending to agriculture and housing sectors should also be raised.
“In the second quarter of 2021, new bank loans granted to the agriculture and housing sectors accounted for only 1.1% and 1.8%, respectively, of their total lending. I hope that during our next CNC sessions, we will be able to assess, in-depth, factors that prevent the financing of these two sectors that are conducive to inclusive growth,” said Simfeitcheou Pré.
Klétus Situ
Togo-Brazil: Outgoing Brazilian ambassador sums up bilateral cooperation achievements to President Gnassingbe
After six years of service in Togo, Brazil’s ambassador to Togo, Antônio Carlos De Salles Menezes, is ending his mission in the country. In this framework, he met with President Faure Gnassingbe to recapitulate progress made relative to the cooperation between the two countries.
According to the diplomat, trade between Brazil and Togo soared in recent years, reaching $97 million in 2017. Regarding agriculture, the South American country backed Togo’s cotton development policy, via the second phase of the Coton4+ project launched in 2015. The latter enabled 500 Togolese farmers to boost their capacities, relative to techniques to growing improved seeds.
Looking back at the progress achieved over the period reviewed, Antônio Carlos De Salles Menezes lauded the improving cooperation between Brazil and Togo.
“Throughout my stay in Lomé, we have started some projects,” the outgoing ambassador said while regretting their disruption by the pandemic.
It is worth noting that Togo and Brazil have been cooperating since 1972.
World Bank scales up growth forecast for Africa but remains prudent
The World Bank has scaled up its growth forecast for sub-Saharan Africa and expects the region to come out of the Covid-induced recession.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to emerge from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with an expected growth rate of 3.3% for 2021,” said the Bretton Woods institution in its latest semi-annual Africa's Pulse report, released on Wednesday, October 6.
The forecast is about 1 percentage point higher than last semester’s forecast - the World Bank, in April, expected SSA to grow at around 2.3% “given policies adopted by countries in the region and the international community.”
The Bank attributes the increase to high commodity prices and the easing of Anti-Covid measures and recovery in global trade. The dynamics, the Bretton Woods institution adds, should be sustained in 2022 and 2023, with the growth rate expected to reach about 4%, “continuing to lag the recovery in advanced economies and emerging markets, and reflecting subdued investment in SSA.”
However, the World Bank points out some weaknesses in the region, such as low vaccination rates and more lasting effects of Covid on SSA economies.
More vaccines
To speed up economic recovery in Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank recommends greater access to Covid vaccines.
“Fair and broad access to effective and safe COVID 19 vaccines is key to saving lives and strengthening Africa’s economic recovery,” said Albert Zeufack, Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank. He added: “Faster vaccine deployment would accelerate the region’s growth to 5.1 percent in 2022 and 5.4 percent in 2023- as more containment measures are lifted, boosting consumption and investment.”
Togolese authorities optimistic but prudent
In Togo, the government, like the World Bank, also scaled up its growth forecast for the economy.
From 1.8% in 2020 (due to Covid-19), Lomé expects a growth rate of 4.8% this year. The country is one of the most vaccinated in the SSA, per habitant (right after Cape Verde).
While optimistic, Togolese authorities remain prudent, expecting real GDP to grow at 6.1% in 2022. They also concur with the World Bank that the global context is uncertain, relative to pressures sparked by Covid-19.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Covid-19: Togo is the most vaccinated country in the WAEMU
Togo has administered over 1.1 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to date, the government said.
“1.13 million doses of vaccine have been administered to date. Covid-19 infections are down slightly thanks to your increasingly massive involvement,” the government indicated while urging the population to continue getting vaccinated, at a time when the momentum seems to be waning, according to the findings of the National Coordination for the Management of the Response to Covid-19 (CNGR).
According to the Financial Times, the number of doses administered so far corresponds to about 13.6 doses per 100 inhabitants, covers 4.9% of the fully vaccinated population, and means that 8.7% of the country’s population have received at least one dose.
Togo is the most vaccinated country in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), ahead of Senegal (7.3% of the population have received at least one dose), Côte d'Ivoire (6.6% have received at least one dose), Guinea Bissau (4.4%), Niger (1.7%), Mali (1.6%), Benin (1.9%), and Burkina Faso (0.8%).
It is also ahead of Ghana and Nigeria, with 2.8% and 2.3% respectively. The most vaccinated English-speaking country (concerning its population) is The Gambia, with 7.6% of the population having received at least one dose of vaccine.
Togo owes its performance to recent measures introduced by the government, including the requirement that citizens show proof of vaccination before entering administrative buildings. The measure was recently extended to structures such as the University of Lomé, the Port and Airport of Lomé.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo: Ministry of maritime economy gets new premises
The Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries, and Coastal Protection of Togo now has its premises since Monday, October 4, 2021. The information was disclosed in a statement issued Tuesday by the head of the ministry, Edem Kokou Tengué
“Progress and a new address, one year later…,” the ministry wrote on its website to announce its new address located on Avenue Nicolas Grunitzky, within the walls of the Post Company of Togo (SPT), and not far from Orabank Togo’s headquarters.
Let’s emphasize that the ministry, established in October 2020, plans to speed up its activities’ implementation, in line with the government’s ambitions falling under the National Development Plan (PND). “Now, more than ever, we must move forward with the concretization of our roadmap, to ensure that the blue economy has a real impact on the national economy,” the ministry said on its website.
It should be noted that “a large part of the country's economic activities is related to the port sector. Also, fishing contributes to 4.5% of GDP and employs over 20,000 people,” according to recent data.
Esaïe Edoh