Togolese officials presented the various opportunities for investment their country has to offer last Sunday at the Expo Dubai 2020. 

Rose Midevor, Togo’s minister for the promotion of investment, was among these officials. She notably talked about Togo’s business climate which is “constantly improving.”

"Improving the business climate is a top priority for the State. The business environment in Togo is increasingly attractive, with clear legislation and incentives to support the implementation of a dynamic vision of industrialization and innovation promotion," Mivedor said.

A majority of Togolese citizens believe that Nigeria plays a more positive role than the ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) in Africa. This is according to a recent survey by Afrobaromètre. Conducted over Jan 2020-Jan 2021, the study’s results were released on December 17. It covered a sample population of 1,200 adults.

"On the African continent, ECOWAS (52%) and the sub-regional superpower Nigeria (64%) are seen positively by the majority of Togolese. On the other hand, just 45% rate the influence of the African Union positively,” the survey’s report reads. 

In detail, more than six out of 10 Togolese (64% of those surveyed) think Nigeria has a very positive or somehow positive economic and political influence on their country’s economy. This is against “only” 52% who think positively of the ECOWAS’ actions and 45% for the AU.

Three out of 10 (27%) of the surveyed said they have no opinion about the AU’s influence in Togo.

Regarding foreign powers, the survey found that many Togolese believe Fance has a relatively negative influence on Togo, while the US and China are seen positively. The US especially is considered as a model of development  by a majority of those surveyed.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Togo’s road corridor is the second-best performing. This is according to the 2020 report of Observatoire des pratiques anormales (OPA) released last Thursday in Lomé.

The document was published during a workshop organized by the National Committee for Facilitation (CNF), under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Road, Air, and Rail Transport. In effect, the meeting helped share the report’s content with concerned actors, collect testimonies and recommend solutions to abnormal practices observed along the corridor.

The study is based mostly on the number of control stations on the corridor, illegal fee payments, and delays at the stations.

"This 46th report of the observatory of abnormal practices summarizes the data collected during the year 2020, indicating a persistence and especially an intensification of abnormal practices on some corridors and an improvement on others," said the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Road, Air, and Rail Transport (MTRAF).

In detail, for the Lomé-Ouaga Corridor, "illicit collections fell from 12,185 FCFA in 2019 to 8,598 in 2020. Border control time improved from 163.1 minutes in 2019 to 154.1 minutes in 2020. The number of checkpoints decreased from 20.6 in 2019 to 17.6 in 2020. Looking at these figures, we must continue working to improve these indicators, in line with the government’s objectives," he added.

Tadjudini Dermane, Director of road and rail transport in Togo, declared based on the information found in the report: “the Togolese corridor is in a good place behind the Benin corridor, but ahead of other corridors of the union.”

Let’s recall that Lomé and the World Bank signed a $120 million financing agreement to ease movement along the Lomé-Ouagadougou-Niamey corridor.

To fight illegal, unreported, and unregistered fishing (IUU) fishing, Benin and Togo surveyed their respective waters last week. The three-day operation closed on Tuesday and led to the interception of a vessel and four pirogues which were diverted to the Port of Lomé. 

The move is part of the PESCAO project, which is backed by Norway. PESCAO aims to help improve fishing governance in West Africa while detecting possible infractions related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU).

At the closing of the operations, the Minister of Maritime Economy, Fisheries, and Coastal Protection, Edem Kokou Tengue, thanked the different actors involved and promised the support of the government in the fight against illegal fishing.

"The damage caused by IUU fishing to the economy and the environment is enormous. The figures of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the FAO are frightening, but should not make us give up," Tengue said, assuring the commitment of his ministry to the fight against illegal fishing.

As a reminder, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, illegal fishing represents 37% of the catches in the Gulf of Guinea and generates costs of $1.3 billion each year. Globally, these losses are estimated at $23 billion.

Last Tuesday, the Ministry of Transport launched the pilot project for road security PPRSR in Kpalimé. Through the project, the ministry intends to boost road security by organizing driving license examinations for over 7,000  two and three-wheeler drivers nationwide. It will also raise users’ awareness about traffic regulations and the consequence of some of the driving behaviors. The ultimate goal is to significantly reduce road accidents by 2025. 

The project supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) was initiated because of the worrying spike in road accidents with its related consequences, Minister of Trasport  Affoh-Atcha-Dédji explains.  

Indeed, according to figures from the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, 3,815 road accidents were recorded in the first half of 2021. Those accidents claimed the lives of 346 residents and left 4,721 injured. During the same period a year earlier, only 2,627 road accidents were recorded with  241 deaths and 3,734 injured. 

Esaïe Edoh

The Togolese Employers’ Council (CNP-Togo) recommends the creation of a CFA50 billion financing fund to revive SMEs and SMIs. According to the recommendation which was made in a study on how Covid-induced health measures impacted businesses in the country, the fund would mainly target businesses that were greatly affected by the pandemic. 

In detail, beneficiaries will get 3-6 year loans at an interest rate of 3.5%.

CNP-Togo claims that “the State can set up a CFA20 billion fund to support the recovery of the national economy.” The tripartite fund (State-CNP-Banks)  should help sustain the employment and production levels of SMEs through financial assistance.

The support should come in a context where “it has become more difficult for businesses to access financing,” CNP-Togo adds, a context “where the uncertainty arising from the crisis increased the risk of cash shortage and sparked a general fear of risk.”

In addition to the fund, the CNP recommended five more measures. They include launching an exceptional loan scheme for small businesses, securing a State-guaranteed cash flow loan; postponing tax and social security deadlines, setting up an unemployment insurance scheme for entrepreneurs, and setting up a support mechanism for exporting companies.

Let’s recall that, in line with ambitions to restart the Togolese economy post-Covid, the government regularly meets with various key actors of the economy, the private sector notably.

Esaïe Edoh

In Togo, the national social security fund is the institution in charge of retirement and disability pensions. Those who want to benefit from these pensions must be at least 60 years old - which is the legal retirement age in the country, or have a disability preventing them from continuing professional activities.

The procedure is free and gets completed within 60-120 days. Usually, the pension represents 20% of the average monthly salary of the applicant.

Retirement and disability pensions are governed by Articles 41 and 47 of Togo’s February 21, 2011, Social Security Code.

Description:

Retirement and disability pensions are replacement incomes representing a set percentage of the beneficiary’s salary. They compensate for inactivity by age or disability.

Eligible persons:

Insured individuals above retirement age (60), those above 55 years who have applied for early pension, or those with disabilities preventing them from carrying out professional activities.

Cost of the procedure:

Free

Processing time:

60-120 days

Required documentation:

• Filled and signed application form
• Insurance booklet or social security card
• Mandatory retirement decision for civil servants
• Payslips (all the 1977 payslips for civil servants)
• Bank details
• Two (02) passport photographs

Insured individuals applying for the disability/early retirement pension must add the following documents :

• A medical certificate from the attending physician
• A certificate from the employer (for early pension)

Additional information:

The monthly amount of the age, disability, or early retirement pension is equal to twenty percent (20%) of the average monthly earnings. This proportion is increased if the number of contributed months exceeds one hundred and eighty (180).

A workplace accident can be defined as an accident suffered by an employee at his/her workplace while carrying out professional duties or during work-related trips. In some countries, accidents occurring on the way to or from the workplace are considered workplace accidents and entitle employees to compensation.

In Togo, employees can report workplace accidents if their employer delays the procedure. To do so, the concerned employee has to contact the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) within 15 or 30 days after the accident.

The procedure is free and can result in a total or partial refund of medical expenses. The employee can also benefit from indemnities, like disability benefits.

Workplace accidents are governed by Article 49 of Togo’s February 21, 2011, Social Security Code.

Who can submit the request:

Employees affected by workplace accidents or occupational disease, their relatives, or even witnesses

Cost of the procedure:

Free

Processing time:

The accident must be reported within 15 to 30 days after it happened

Name of the Office:

National Social Security Fund (CNSS)

Address: In front of the University of Lomé

Contacts: (+228) 22 53 55 00 / 22 25 96 96

Fax: (+228 ) 22 51 99 26

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Required documentation:

• Two (02) copies of the filled and signed workplace accident report
• Two (2) copies of the Initial Medical Certificate (IMC)
• Two (2) copies of the final descriptive certificate (CFD)
• Tier 1 of the accident report booklet duly filled by the employer, the attending physician, or the pharmacist
• Payslips of the three (03) months before the month in which the accident occurred.

Additional information:

For additional information on this procedure, kindly refer to Article 49 of February 21, 2011, Social Security Code.