Togolese firm Hi-Tech and two French IT companies, Naomis and Edenmap, will develop the digital addressing project of the Post office. 

“The Naomis-Hi-Tech-Edenmap conglomerate had the highest combined technical/financial score and was picked as the provisional winning bidder,” said members of the commission in charge of the Post’s public contracts.   

In effect, the firms will design and launch an app that will enable postal services to localize their customers and digitally map out the country. 

The system should cost around CFA120 million according to the final bid submitted by the winners. The amount is less expensive than that proposed by ITC Innovation-AsaaseGPS. 

The projected platform should facilitate the sharing of digital addresses through SMS, mail, and WhatsApp. It will be available in many formats (Web, Android, iOS). 

Let’s note that the provision of this contract to the selected consortium is a new milestone in the Post’s efforts to complete the country’s digital mapping. 

Séna Akoda

Kpobié Tchasso Akaya, advisor to former PM Komi Sélom Klassou, is the new head of the permanent secretariat in charge of reforms and financial programs (SP-PRPF), a State entity overseen by the ministry of finance. Akaya took over last Thursday, from Mongo Aharh-Kpessou who retired. 

The new director will coordinate, support, and monitor the State’s institutions and ministerial departments, in the conception and implementation of reforms. 

As an intermediate with technical and financial partners, notably the IMF, the World Bank (WB), the European Union (EU), and the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akaya will coordinate their interventions in Togo and ensure that the latter meets commitments it made to benefit from the budget support and programs launched by these partners.

Shortly after it was imposed a heavy fine by the Togolese Telecom regulatory organ (ARCEP), Togo Cellulaire reviewed its tariffs. 

On Feb 25, the ARCEP released a statement reporting the “cessation of differentiation practices relating to on- and off-network basic tariffs, as well as bundles,” by Togo Cellulaire. 

Let’s note that if it had failed to comply with the ARCEP’s warning, the telecom company would have, in addition to the main fine it was imposed (over a billion CFA), paid CFA50 million per day every day after the deadline had been passed. 

Regarding the fine, Togo Cellulaire has to pay it despite reviewing its tariffs. It, however, avoided the associated penalties. 

Klétus Situ

In 1989, Togo’s Free trade zone was established. At the time, the government wanted to foster economic and industrial growth, as well as boost exports, and create new jobs. 

It is now 30 years and this zone has attracted CFA240 billion of investments since it was launched. According to the Togolese presidency, 71 companies operate in this zone, benefiting from tax incentives; they are required to export 70% of their output. 

Among these firms are Wacem-Togo (clinker and cement producer), Steel Cube (which makes iron rods from liquid steel), Sivop (a cosmetics company), Unifood (sweet maker), and Do-Pharma. 

Overall, the free trade zone employs 15,392 agents and it contributes around CFA68 billion to Togo’s GDP, according to available data. 

Now, more firms are getting ready to join the free trade zone. This is in a context where Togo is doubling down on its efforts to launch the Agency for the Promotion of Investments and the Free-trade Zone (API-ZF) which is tasked with efficiently steering the new investment code. 

Already, the presidency reported, 25 companies have been accredited to operate in the free-trade area. The firms, which are settling in, are active in sectors such as agribusiness, food, plastics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and metals. 

Séna Akoda

Last Wednesday, business experts, young entrepreneurs, and startups incubated by Nunya Lab gathered for the Mercredi Talk. The event had for a theme ICT opportunities for Togolese startups. 

The Talks, the first edition this year and also the first since the pandemic broke out in the country, was hosted by Emefa Kpegba, MD E-Technopole, and Edeh Dona ETCHRI, founder of E-Agribusiness and E-Agrisky.

The two experts who are well known in the tech environment in Togo shared lessons they learned as entrepreneurs, mentioning resilience, perseverance, and courage as key qualities to succeed. 

ICT, Tech, and training

More importantly, the goal of the event was to introduce young entrepreneurs to opportunities available in the tech industry, leveraging new tools like Big Data, AI, Blockchain, and cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin especially which has gained fame in recent years). 

The two hosts in this regard stressed the need for training and skill acquisition for startuppers. 

“Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, what to do with those? (...) First of all, we need training, it’s imperative,” said Kpegba, who also happens to be a data scientist and an IT engineer. 

“As youth, if we want to innovate we need to get training (...) There are free courses online; all you need is an internet connection (...) there are even wifi spaces where you can easily access the web,” she added. 

Moreover, in terms of opportunities, to create value and transform, a given community requires “reading the latest news revealing innovations, and learning how to match what worked elsewhere to Togolese needs and realities.”

Opportunities 

For his part, Donah Etchri declared: We missed the industrial revolution but we now have the chance to catch up with the others with the digital revolution. According to the young entrepreneur, the objective should be to find “solutions to our challenges, solutions which can serve our communities.”

He then added that there are many opportunities available, “be it in the health, agriculture, tourism, and event sectors.”

To close the talks, both hosts recommended the Togolese youth to study success stories, both within and outside Togolese borders, and use the data obtained to tackle local issues. Sectors like logistics, transport, e-commerce, delivery, entertainment, health and wellness, urbanism, security, and civic engagement, or energy and the environment are full of challenges that need to be dealt with. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Tomorrow, Feb 26, drilling works should begin under the sanitary conditions improvement project in the rural and school environment in the Kara and Savannah regions (PASSCO). VERGNET HYDRO, a French company, and ECM SARL, its Togolese partner, are in charge of carrying out the works.  

The news was disclosed by the ministry for water and rural hydraulics which presented the project at the last council of ministers held on February 24. 

Falling under the government’s new roadmap, the PASSCO will improve access to clean water in targeted communities. In figures, this access should move up from 77% to 85% in Kara and from 67% to 72% in the Savannah region. 

Besides the drilling of boreholes, hydraulic equipment will be supplied to local communities and they will be taught how to maintain them. Overall, the PASSCO will cost CFA6.58 billion. It is backed by France, via its development arm, the AFD. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The CIZO solar electrification project will extend to the agricultural sector. Indeed, via its social support component, the program will purchase and set up 3,000 solar-powered irrigation pumps across the country. 

According to reliable sources, the Togolese Agency for Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy (AT2R) launched to this end a tender to acquire and install 600 irrigation kits. The tender, which will close on March 29, 2021, is financed with funds Togo secured from the African Development Fund (ADF) and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF). 

The goal of the Togolese government is to boost the resilience of 500 rural communities using solar power. The solar-powered pumps will help these communities develop autonomous agricultural activities.

Séna Akoda