In Togo, a new online service platform called "Logimat" has been launched to improve practices in the construction and logistics sectors. The platform officially began operations on November 30 in Lomé. Logimat allows companies and individuals to buy hardware online and rent heavy equipment for construction projects.

Geolocation and AI

Logimat uses advanced geolocation and AI technologies to enhance delivery management and route planning. These tools enable users to track their equipment or goods in real-time, ensuring faster and more reliable deliveries. The AI also recommends products and services based on individual user needs, improving the overall customer experience.

“By creating Logimat, we aim to make life easier for users while modernizing practices in the key construction and logistics sectors,” said Logimat CEO Kadjaka Dissima-Winiga. “With the app, we aim to support the digitalization of these sectors and contribute to local economic growth by facilitating exchanges and creating new opportunities for market players.”

This initiative joins existing digital solutions in the construction sector, such as the Edolé Africa app. 

Togo had 105,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in 2023, with a prevalence rate of 1.6% among those aged 15 to 49. Of the infected, 90% have been tested for the virus, 84% are receiving antiretroviral treatment, and 76% have successfully suppressed their viral load.

The figures were disclosed on November 29, 2024, during a press conference held by the National Council for the Fight Against AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (CNLST/IST). The meeting coincided with World AIDS Day 2024, and was held under the theme “Take the right path: My health, my right !”. It highlighted Togo's progress and ongoing challenges in the fight against HIV/AIDS, coinciding with.

Additionally, Togo's Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) program has achieved an 85% coverage rate. The number of AIDS-related deaths has decreased from 6,600 in 2010 to 2,300 in 2023, down by 65.15%, or -8% per year on average.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, customs duties on industrial diesel will be halved next year. The change was outlined in the 2025 draft finance law, which Lomé approved last week. 

The amendment will take effect on January 1. It will apply to diesel that fuels the machinery and non-road mobile equipment used by extractive and manufacturing companies. The cut aims to boost local industry, including projects like the Plateforme Industrielle de Adétikopé.

For traceability purposes, the diesel will be blended with colorants and tracers. The Ministry of Trade will oversee controls. Lomé plans to publish a list of eligible companies and their authorized annual diesel volumes through an interministerial decree, based on proposals from the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR). Companies must meet strict criteria, including being registered in Togo and having dedicated storage tanks for this type of diesel.

The government has warned that violations of this measure will lead to penalties as outlined in the Customs Code and other applicable laws. In Lomé, officials believe this initiative will enhance the competitiveness of Togolese companies and stimulate economic activity, although the potential cost of the measure has not been disclosed.

Due to shifts at the international level, diesel prices have fluctuated significantly in Togo in recent years. For instance, in March 2022, the price per liter increased from 520 to CFA605, reaching a peak of CFA850 by July 2022. In January 2023, the government adjusted the price to CFA775 to mitigate impacts on consumers, especially industries. The government currently subsidizes diesel at a rate of CFA239 per liter. 

Fiacre E. Kakpo

The Togolese government plans to cut excise duty rates on certain local products in 2025. The move was outlined in the Finance Bill approved last week by the Council of Ministers. The cuts should boost local production and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing more favorable tax conditions.

Natural products produced by local SMEs and certified by authorized State bodies will receive reduced excise duties from January 1 to December 31, 2025. A regulatory act will define the specifics of these tax breaks.

This decision diverges from Article 243 of the French General Tax Code, which sets excise duties on various products. For instance, non-alcoholic beverages like energy drinks are taxed at 10%, while other non-alcoholic drinks are taxed at 5%. Beer and alcoholic beverages face taxes of 20% and 60%, respectively, while tobacco is taxed at 100%.

Necessities such as wheat flour and edible oils already enjoy reduced rates of 1%, while coffee and tea are taxed at 10%. Other products like high-powered vehicles and plastic bags incur a 5% duty, and luxury items like cosmetics and precious stones are taxed at 15%. In 2023, excise duties generated CFA54 billion for the state, with expectations to rise to CFA 66 billion next year.

By reducing duties for local SMEs—specific rates are yet to be announced—the government hopes to enhance their competitiveness, encourage local processing, and stimulate the national economy. Excise duties are a crucial revenue source for the state, and the government aims to use them to regulate consumption and promote small local industries. This reduction supports a broader initiative to assist small and medium-sized businesses, which has been a focus of various efforts in recent years. A key tool for supporting these companies, the MSME charter, is expected to be implemented soon. This charter outlines ambitious measures to address challenges such as access to financing.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo’s National Coordination Committee for Health held its third annual meeting last week, on November 28. The session gathered various health stakeholders and partners who assessed the country’s achievements in the sector since the government launched its 2020-2025 roadmap. Health Minister Tchin Darré led the meeting.

Among other achievements underscored during the meeting, the Health Ministry noted improvements in health infrastructure and enhanced services at health centers. According to the ministry, initiatives like the SSEQCU (Essential Quality Health Services for Universal Health Coverage) project helped the country record these achievements. The SSEDCU received funding of CFA40 billion.

The participants also mentioned the Wezou initiative, which focused on maternal and newborn care. By the end of 2023, this project had benefited over 400,640 pregnant women and supported 221,802 deliveries. Wezou helped increase access to healthcare from 71% in 2020 to 90.7% in 2023.

Besides assessing Togo’s recent progress in health, last week’s meeting also helped map out the country’s technical and financial partners in this sector. The mapping process should help optimize resource mobilization for ongoing projects under the government's roadmap.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo has secured a €200 million partial credit guarantee (PCG) from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support its first sustainable financing initiative. This move aligns Togo with other African nations like Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Rwanda, which have recently utilized this funding tool to finance green and social projects at lower costs.

The AfDB's Board of Directors approved the guarantee. The facility will help Togo raise funds from international banks on competitive terms, and these funds will help support key priority sectors outlined in Togo's Sustainable Financing Framework.

Validated by S&P in October 2024, the Togolese framework aims to direct investments toward environmentally friendly and socially responsible projects. It includes 14 categories of eligible expenditures across five climate and environmental areas and nine priority social sectors, targeting vulnerable populations.

These sectors include biodiversity preservation, climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, access to clean energy, education, digital inclusion, and social security.

Ahmed Attout, Director of Financial Sector Development at the AfDB Group, noted that this intervention would “ contribute to deepening financial markets through Togo's first-ever sustainable financing, as well as broadening and diversifying the country's investor base.” Wilfrid Abiola, head of the AfDB country office for Togo, added that this operation would “support Togo's structural transformation and economic diversification while creating decent jobs and strengthening the country's socio-economic resilience.”

Togo isn’t the only African nation to have secured the AfDB’s partial credit guarantee for sustainable projects. Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Rwanda also did. The first three secured €500 million (Benin, in 2021), €400 million, and €500 million (Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, in 2023). Rwanda secured €200 million earlier this year.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo is gearing up to attend the 2025 Osaka World Expo, in Japan. The country launched its promotional campaign on November 28, 2024, during the 19th International Fair of Lomé (FIL).

Togo’s pavilion at the Japanese event will showcase "made in Togo" products, and participating Togolese businesses will promote themselves and connect with international partners.

According to Alexandre de Souza, Managing Director of CETEF and Togo's Commissioner General for the coming Expo, the event will highlight technological achievements, innovation, culture, and future visions. For Togo, it will be an opportunity for dialogue and exchange, and it could yield strategic partnerships and enhance its international relations.

The Osaka World Expo will run for 184 days, from April 13 to October 13, 2025, under the theme: "Designing the society of the future, imagining our life of tomorrow." 

Togo also took part in the previous edition held in 2021 in Dubai.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo's 2025 budget is set at approximately 2,394 billion FCFA, up 9.9% from the 2024 budget of CFA2,179 billion. The Council of Ministers confirmed this projection during their meeting in Lomé on November 26, 2024.

Nearly half the budget will focus on the social sector, against 48% in 2024. Next year, Lomé will focus on key issues like insecurity, fostering social and economic inclusion, and supporting vulnerable populations. The main goal is to enhance citizen satisfaction while building on the successes of ongoing reforms.

The government will continue its public finance management reforms in 2025. These reforms aim to control the budget deficit, forecast at 3% of GDP in 2025, down from 6.7% in 2023 and 5.9% anticipated in 2024.

Togo's budget surpassed the CFA2,000 billion mark for the first time this year. The National Assembly will vote on this budget during its upcoming session.

Esaïe Edoh