Togo First
Fishing resumed at Nangbeto
Fishing has resumed at the Nangbeto lake, as announced last Wednesday by the minister of maritime economy, Edem Kokou Tengue. The resumption after a three-month pause was imposed to let the lake’s fauna regenerate.
However, the ministry in charge urged concerned fishermen to abide by a set of rules like having a permit or authorization issued. The use of mesh nets or similar to mosquito nets, mahogany, bamboo, or toxic products, among others, on the Lake, remains strictly prohibited.
In Togo, more than 20,000 people work in the fishing sector and the latter contributes to about 4.5% of the GDP. Regarding the Nangbeto lake, around 2,000 fishermen fish there. In 2019, they fished about 3,200 t, compared to just 600 t seven years earlier.
Togo: Parliament validates budget spending for 2016,2017, 2018, and 2019
The Togolese parliament has adopted, last Tuesday, the State Budget Settlement Acts concluding years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The vote took place during the eleventh plenary session of the second ordinary session of 2021 which aimed at enabling the government to better execute its budget.
"I would like to emphasize that the settlement bills for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 that you have just voted, were adopted by the government after examining the reports of the Court of Accounts and taking into account its recommendations as well as the general statement of compliance between the General Account of the Administration of Finance and the accounts of the main accountants of the State,” Sani Yaya, minister of finance, told the deputies
In detail, the State Budget Settlement Act for 2016 stands at CFAF 945.5 billion (initial finance bill) and CFAF 991.3 billion (amended finance bill, at the end of the year), showing a negative implementation balance of CFAF 45.8 billion. The draft law of settlement of the State budget for 2018 shows budget revenues of CFA1152.8 billion and CFA1155.0 billion for expenditures, thus reflecting a negative difference of 2.2 billion CFA francs.
As for the 2019 budget, revenues and expenditures stood respectively at CFA1,343.8 billion and CFA1,321 billion.
Last week, the parliament adopted an amended budget for 2021 that totals CFA1,702 billion. This amount is up by 11.9% compared to the initial budget.
Meanwhile the 2022 finance law projects a total of CFA1,760 billion in revenues and expenditures (against CFA1,521 billion in 2021).
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
EU provides Togo an observatory for land transport
Togo inaugurated its first public transport observatory (OTT) last Tuesday. The building which was offered to the ministry of transport by the European Union (EU) cost CFA200 million.
The EU also equipped the facility (over CFA10 million spent) and bought two pick-up vans (CFA46 million) for the personnel.
The new observatory will assess any activity related to transportation of travellers and goods by land. In addition, “it will reinforce SME’s capacities, enabling them to fully play their role in the maintenance of roads in Togo,” said Michel Tindano, Secretary-General of the ministry of transport, at the inauguration ceremony.
The observatory was built as part of the regional program to support governance in the transport sector, a program that covers West Africa.
Esaïe Edoh
Gustav Bakoundah, a Togolese, receives World Quality Commitment award
Gustav Bakoundah is a Togolese who produces and processes fruits and oleaginous products. Last Sunday, he received the World Quality Commitment (WQC) award, from the Business Initiative Directions group (BID).
According to the BID, Bakoundah, Managing Director of Label d’Or, owes the award to his commitment to having quality products, and boosting his production in an innovative way.
“For one’s work to be acknowledged worldwide requires consistency and putting in extra effort. That is our daily ambition,” said Bakoundah.
Gustav Bakoundah is the first Togolese to ever with the WQC award. His company, Label d’Or, has been operating in the agricultural sector for nearly a decade.
As for the BID group, it is an international organization that promotes quality by awarding prizes to the most innovative businesses around the world.
Esaïe Edoh
First Togo-Morocco business forum could take place in 2022
The first edition of the Togo-Morocco business forum could happen next year. The topic was discussed Tuesday in Lomé by the Moroccan ambassador, Rachid Rguibi, and Victoire Dogbé, Togo’s PM.
The event could happen depending on how the Covid situation evolves, said the two figures.
In their opinion, the projected forum would help boost cooperation between the two countries. “Relations between Morocco and Togo are excellent, they need to be strengthened," said the Moroccan diplomat before adding that “Togo has extraordinary economic potential and President Faure has started a great dynamic which we want to support.”
Morocco and Togo have a great cooperation relationship, and this has been the case for years. Several Moroccan telecom, bank, and insurance companies operate in Togo. Their investments in the West African country have soared from 19.8 billion CFA in 2013 to 35.2 billion CFA in 2017.
Recently, Morocco announced that it would soon open an embassy in Togo, a decision that also falls under efforts to boost its cooperation with Lomé.
Esaïe Edoh
Over CFA1.5 billion spent to bury waste products in the past 3 years, Grand Lomé district says
Nearly 800,000 tons of waste have been buried at the Centre d’Enfouissement Technique (CET) of Aképé (about 20 km north west of Lomé) in the past three years. This, according to the Autonomous District of Grand Lomé (DAGL) in charge of the CET, cost the district CFA1.6 billion.
In detail, each ton of waste buried is charged by the operating company at CFA5 431. Over the period reviewed, 784, 362 tons of waste were treated - 208,775t in 2018, 272,304t in 2019, and 303,283t in 2020 respectively.
Inaugurated in April 2018, the CET aims to improve the living conditions of populations and fight environmental degradation. The facility was built in accordance with international standards of environmental protection and health. Its other purpose is to stop the proliferation of random wastefills.
The CET’s construction cost of CFA12 billion and was funded by the French Development Agency.
Esaïe Edoh
EIB explores bankable projects in Togo
Two days ago, a delegation from the European Investment Bank (EIB) started in Lomé a mission to explore financing opportunities available in Togo. The initial meeting held in this framework was chaired by the Togolese Prime Minister, Victoire Tomegah-Dogbé. According to her office which disclosed the information, several Togolese officials were also there to present some of the country’s priorities and objectives.
"The European Investment Bank, which is the development bank of the European Union, came to our country to see how we can identify projects that need support or financing," said Kanka-Malik Natchaba, Minister and Secretary-General of the Government. "And naturally, Togo already has a clear and well-organized roadmap, and was able to share with the delegation some areas of cooperation on energy, infrastructure, but also on sustainable development and the digital sector which are key components of our roadmap," he added.
Throughout this week, EIB’s delegation will prospect areas that can be financed in accordance with the government’s roadmap, official sources said. These areas include notably energy access, especially renewables, the digital sector with a focus on digitizing public services, decentralization, agriculture, and environmental protection.
"We have come to restart and strengthen our cooperation with Togo. (...) We are working with the EU Commission to support Togo's priorities as defined in the government's 2020-2025 roadmap, as part of a joint European Union, France, and Germany program to help the country build its capacity for economic growth and development," said Svetla Stoeva, Head of the European Bank's West and Central Africa Country and Public Sector Relations Unit.
The EIB has been the EU’s long-term financing institution since 1958. In 2019, it backed Togo’s adhesion to the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) which provides guarantees to its member countries when raising funds on financial markets and helps them find investors worldwide.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo has received almost 1 million Pfizer doses from the US so far
The US gave Togo 301,860 doses of Pfizer vaccines last Friday. This makes a total of 909,090 doses that the African country has received from the economic powerhouse so far.
The new batch, provided under the Covax initiative, was received by the Togolese minister of health, Moustafa Mijiyawa. It aligns with a commitment made by President Biden to help developing nations face the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the same framework the US embassy in Togo has turned its parking area into a vaccination center; this until December 16th.
It should be recalled that Togo has a million doses of Covid vaccines in stock. The figure was recently revealed by the country’s health authorities.
Esaïe Edoh
Gozem starts new training program for its future managers
Yesterday, November 15, Gozem launched its Graduate Training Program which will be carried out over two years. The program has commenced with four young masters’ degree holders.
Through the program, the Uber-like company will provide online and physical training sessions to its future managers. Overall, nearly 500 courses will be set up to train marketing experts, business developers, delivery managers, and more.
According to Gozem’s management, the program has three goals : attract the best recruits, train them so that they are efficient and operate faster, and keep them onboard in the long run.
“Our ambition with the Graduate Training Program is to attract these talented individuals in Gozem and make them the company’s next faces,” said Anne-Claire Longour, Global Human Resources Manager, Gozem.
Gozem is a company that owns an eponymous mobile app offering, among others, services transportation, e-commerce, and financial services. With over 800,000 users, the platform covers 13 African French-speaking cities, across Togo, Benin, and Gabon.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo wins creativity awards at 7th edition of international exhibition of African textiles, SITA
Togo won the Creativity awards at the 7th edition of the SITA, an international exhibition of African textiles. The event was held in Djibouti from November 10 to 13, 2021.
The country competed against 33 others for the award. It was recognized to have the most attractive and innovative stand.
The SITA promotes Africa’s textile products and industry. The Togolese delegation took part in the exhibition/sale, the fashion show, the international conference and workshop which were held during the event.
Let’s recall that Togo set up its Adetikopé industrial platform (PIA) partly to restart its textile industry. Recently, in line with this goal, the Indian firm, Togo Clothing Company, recently spent CFA20 billion to build a cotton-processing factory at the PIA.
Esaïe Edoh