Togo’s national post company (SPT) said the processing of international mails could be perturbed due to the various prevention measures taken by the government regarding the coronavirus. 

However, the SPT reassured that it is doing everything necessary to ease the disturbances to keep its clients satisfied. 

So far, Togo has reported only one case of coronavirus while 10 potential infected cases are waiting for test results. Its neighbors, Ghana and Benin, respectively have a count of 9 and 2 at the moment. 

Séna Akoda

From January 1 to March 13, this year, the National Fund for Inclusive Finance (FNFI) has disbursed more than XOF260 million to 2,012 beneficiaries. 

This was possible due to the great adaptability and flexibility of our general management, “be it regarding the taking of strategic and inclusive decisions with financial service partners or in terms of follow-through.”

Out of the amount allocated, around XOF243 billion were disbursed as loans from March 9 to 13. 

To date, the FNFI has more than 1.3 million beneficiaries. 

Lomé is currently hosting a 5-day workshop on risk assessment in public administration in Togo. Participants include various auditors and managers from ministries, as well as public finance experts. 

The workshop aims primarily at reinforcing economic governance in the country while enabling concerned institutions to reach their administrative goals. 

It also supports reforms initiated in the framework of the Economic Governance Support Project which is backed by the World Bank and the European Union. 

Participants should at the end of the meeting map risks that key ministries are exposed to, relative to governance. These ministries include those for health and public hygiene, infrastructure and transport, primary and secondary education, and the ministry of mining and energy.

Liquid Telecom, the pan-African internet service provider, will manage the Carrier Hotel as well as the internet exchange point. 

The firm has made an offer of XOF2.9 billion, excluding VAT, for the project which it said it will complete over five years. The medallion was the main competing bidder of the subsidiary of the Zimbabwean group Econet Wireless on this project. 

In 2019, at the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Econet Wireless had expressed interest in the Togolese market. On this occasion, the West African country was represented at the event by a delegation led by president Gnassingbé himself. At the time, the Togolese team was promoting its 2018-2022 national development plan (PND 2018-2022). 

Séna Akoda

Chinese billionaire and founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, will give African countries 20,000 coronavirus test kits and more than 100,000 masks. 

The mogul made the announcement last week during an audience with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.  

‘Africa can stay one step ahead of coronavirus. To each of the 54 African nations, we will give 20,000 test kits, 100,000 masks, and 1,000 protective suits,’ Ma declared on twitter.

Togo, which is among the beneficiaries has just put in place a XOF2 billion emergency fund to fight the pandemic. It has also decided to suspend flights from high-risk countries. 

The equipment donated, Ma adds, comes with a manual explaining how the infected should be treated. 

To date, 28 African nations are affected by the virus, with 362 confirmed cases. Worldwide, more than 183,000 cases, over 7,000 deaths, and nearly 80,000 recovered individuals have been reported. 

In Togo, the emergency number to call to report a potential case is 111. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo will put in place a XOF2 billion fund to fight coronavirus (Covid-19). This was disclosed after an extraordinary council of ministers held on March 16, 2020, and especially focused on the pandemic. 

Other measures announced to prevent the virus from spreading in the country include suspending all flights from high-risk countries (Italy, France, Spain, Germany) for two weeks starting next Friday, canceling every international event Togo is to host for 3 weeks (Effective March 16). Also, every person who was recently in a high-risk country and presently is in Togo must isolate themselves for 14 days (failure to do so will call for sanctions); gatherings of more than 100 people have been forbidden, effective next Thursday at midnight. Last, monitoring as well as individual and collective prevention measures have been reinforced. 

Let it be recalled that so far, only one case has been reported in Togo, in a context where WHO estimated that the country’s risk of exposure is very high, given that all its closest neighbors are now affected. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, Sunu Bank wants to raise its capital by XOF1.8 billion. To this end, the former Banque Populaire pour l’Epargne et le Crédit (BPEC) has issued 400,000 new shares. 

Each of the new shares has a nominal value of XOF4500 and “they are exclusively reserved for old shareholders who can exercise their preemptive right at a parity of 16,257 existing shares against 3,125 new ones.” 

The issuance which is arranged by SGI-Togo (Société de Gestion et d’Intermédiation) has been approved by the Regional Council for Public Savings and Financial Markets (CREPMF) - the regulator of WAEMU’s financial markets. 

Subscriptions will be accepted until March 26, 2020, at SGI-Togo, Sunu Bank Togo, and any WAEMU-accredited brokerage firm. 

Séna Akoda

Launched three years ago, the project for the digitization of criminal records in Togo should soon be operational with its pilot phase initiated in Lomé. 

The news was disclosed on the official website of the presidency. The related communiqué indicates that those applying for their records online will do so either through the dedicated website or by using the dedicated app (which will be downloadable on the Play Store). 

The initiative, according to competent authorities, is aimed at saving citizens time and money, by cutting administrative paperwork. For example, applicants will no longer have to return to their place of birth for the records, as is usually the case.  

In the framework of the digitization project, a national registry for condemnations was created. Also, 18 out of the country’s 30 tribunals have been connected through a specific digital platform.