Togo First
Togo: The post office launches new online payment platform E-poste
Togo’s post company, La Société des Postes du Togo (SPT), has developed a new online payment solution called E-poste.
The platform is solely reserved for the payment of power (CEET) and water (TDE) bills, at zero-cost.
The creation of this platform which can be downloaded on Google Play aligns the government’s dematerialization efforts. It also aims to make life easier for CEET and TDE customers.
Séna Akoda
Togo's budget revenues could reduce by 40% due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister of Finance predicts
“Due to the various fiscal measures taken by the government to support businesses, budget resources should decrease from XOF578.4 billion to 348.4 billion.” The statement was made last Friday by the Togolese minister of finance, Sani Yaya, during a meeting with the private sector.
Explaining the reduction (of about 40%) in detail, the official said tax earnings should slump by around XOF198 billion, while non-tax and service revenues are expected to plummet by XOF32 billion, as health and social expenses surge amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Yaya, “the tertiary sector (trade, services, travel, and tourism) is the most affected” by the drastic measures taken in response to the outbreak.
The situation could cause the Togolese economy to plunge since it greatly depends on external economies. In effect, “GDP growth should stand at 1.3% according to the latest macro-budget review. The gross domestic product could fall by 1.5% in 2020, in the worst case, as against an initial forecast of 5.5%.”
Looking at present circumstances, the minister of finance pointed out the need for national solidarity to restart the whole Togolese economic machinery.
Yaya added that in line with the adopted strategy, which is backed by the national fund for response and economic recovery, XOF110 billion will be allocated to response actions, X0F110 billion to boost resiliency and 180 billion to restart the economy.
For now, he stressed, the government is still far from raising these funds which makes a total of XOF400 billion.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
Coronavirus: National Institute for Hygiene (INH) opens new office in Kara, Northern Togo
As announced a few weeks ago, the National Institute for Hygiene (INH) officially set up an office in Kara (412km from Lomé) last Saturday.
According to the ministry of health, this facility would help proceed to 1,500 daily tests for the Covid-19 virus. This is more than double the actual number of tests currently being performed. Additionally, the new center will enable the immediate processing of samples taken in the northern region without having to send them to Lomé first.
The new center’s opening, it should be noted, is quite timely given that the number of Covid-19 cases in Togo has almost doubled over the past week, surging from 153 cases on May 10 to 301 cases on May 17.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Decentralization: Germany provides €5 million to Togo
At the end of last week, Togo received a €5 million financing from Germany to reinforce its decentralization process.
Promised months ago, the funds should be supplied through the German cooperation agency KfW. They will be used to pursue the construction and equipping of new town halls.
The goal of the financing, which falls under the Decentralization Support Project (PAD), is to “provide municipal actors an appropriate work environment and thus guarantee the best service quality to citizens,” said Matthias Veltin, the German Ambassador to Togo.
Since 2012, Germany has disbursed more than XOF30 billion to support decentralization in Togo.
More than 1,000t of freight processed at Lomé’s airport in the past two months
From March 20 to May 10, 2020, Lomé’s airport has processed more than 1,000 tons of freight, including about 73% in transit.
The figures were revealed by Col. Dokissime Gnama Latta, director-general of the Lomé-Tokoin airport company (SALT), during a recent interview with RepublicOfTogo.
It appears therefore that as the airport’s passenger traffic fell due to the coronavirus pandemic (with no more commercial flights since March 20), it has adapted by “repositioning” on cargo flights and equipment supply. “Almost every day, cargo flights land in Lomé and head back full to other West African countries,” said the SALT’s director-general. According to reliable sources, the airport intends to reinforce its position on these segments even after the Covid-19 crisis.
There are also “significant freight volumes conveyed to Brazil with the planes of Ethiopian Airlines” which remains a strategic partner of Togo even in these tough times.
So far, no detail has been given regarding when activity at the airport of Lomé would resume. Meanwhile, Air France, the French airlines, recently said it would resume flights to Togo and other African countries. In this regard, the SALT’s management indicated that if this were to happen, it would not be done without a “dialogue or having the situation under control.”
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Covid-19: Air France announces special flight to Lomé next week
Before officially restarting its flights to Lomé next June 15 as it recently announced, Air France will operate a special flight to the Togolese capital on May 23. This was disclosed yesterday by Togo’s ambassador to France, Calixte Madjoulba.
The flight which was agreed by the authorities of France and Togo will bring back Togolese citizens stranded in France and other European countries.
“Togolese citizens living in Europe who have registered to be repatriated will be contacted by Air France for reservations,” said Madjoulba. For those who wish to return home on the same flight, or coming special flights, they are to register at the Togolese embassy in France.
Séna Akoda
TKEVA Experts launches call for anti-Covid 19 projects developed by young entrepreneurs
In Togo, TKEVA Experts, which develops cyber-health solutions, is supporting young local entrepreneurs, from 18 to 30 years old, with projects aimed at fighting the Coronavirus.
In this framework, the firm launched a call for projects for young entrepreneurs who are subscribed to the TKEVA youtube channel and Facebook account. For this initiative, TKEVA has set aside a budget of XOF4.5 million which is to be shared among winning bidders. However, bidders must submit their projects by May 27, 2020.
The main goal of TKEVA here is to support Togo’s health, education, and agriculture systems while helping populations better face the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eligible projects have been separated into three categories, A, B, and C. The first concerns health-related projects with immediate technological, economic, and/or social impact. For the second and third categories, they regroup similar projects (in terms of impact) but related to the education and agriculture sectors respectively.
Full details about the call for projects are available on TKEVA’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
Séna Akoda
Nearly XOF7 billion shared under the Novissi cash transfer scheme, only a month after it began
Barely a month into its launch, more than XOF6.8 billion has been distributed under the Novissi cash transfer scheme initiated by the Togolese government to help populations that are affected by the current Covid-19 crisis.
More than 550,000 people out of over 1.3 million who registered have received the funds so far. This includes about 360,000 women and 190,000 men. The money was shared in three distinct tranches.
Séna Akoda
Air France to resume commercial flights to Lomé next month
The French airlines recently announced the resumption of its commercial flights to Africa.
Hence, the first flight to Lomé (with a stop in Niamey, Niger) is thus scheduled for June 15, 2020. Air France indicated that there will be three weekly flights from France to the Togolese capital.
On the same day, the company has scheduled direct flights to Abidjan, Cotonou, and Conakry.
Togo seeks consulting firm towards the actualization of its national maritime strategy
Togo is set to update its national maritime and coast strategy, through its National Institution for State Maritime Action (ONAEM).
To this end, Lomé is recruiting a firm to conduct studies relative to the updating process, and produce an action plan which aligns with the 2018-2022 national development plan.
The update itself entails various actions such as assessing the existing strategy, ongoing programs falling under the latter, reviewing related statistics, the maritime sector, and producing a strategic framework for Togo’s maritime policy. This policy will include strategic actions and axes that will serve as guidelines for all operations carried out in the sector over the next decade.
The selected consulting firm will also have to submit, among others, a coherent framework for the implementation and monitoring of Togo’s maritime policy.
Séna Akoda