Togo First
Mango production in Togo: Latest figures show improved production
From 340,000 tons in 2018, Togo’s mango production increased to 370,000 tons in 2019. The 8.8% rise was reported by the Official Portal of the Togolese Republic.
Over the period, yield per hectare grew from 3.7 to 4.5 tons. In Togo, the mango fruit is grown over a little more than 1,500 hectares in total, with the most cultivated varieties being the Kent, Palmer, Eldon, and Somnole.
Both exported and consumed locally raw, the fruit is also processed despite major progress still to be made in this area. Indeed, there are only 10 processing units in the country. In 2019, Togo processed 2,200 tons of mangoes, up 22% compared to the year before (1,800 tons).
The sector struggles with many challenges including a low level of training of farmers, difficulties to access the production factors, great losses in output, insufficient storage, and a lack of appropriate equipment for processing. This, despite the availability of land for production, an existing local market, and high external demand (especially for grafted mangoes).
In 2019, producers got support from the MIFA to secure an export market for their yield. In December that year, the national federation of mango producers’ cooperatives (FNCPM) and the national federation of mango sellers and exporters (FNCEM) merged into the Interprofessional Council for Mango (CIF-Mangue). This aims to bolster production by ensuring better organization in the sector.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo: New decree makes deploying fiber optics compulsory for some construction projects
To fast-track the deployment of fiber optics across the country, the Togolese government adopted a new decree imposing all persons and firms undertaking construction projects to systematically deploy the fiber, at their own cost.
Togo First was informed of the reform last Thursday, by the minister of the digital economy and digital transformation, Cina Lawson.
Specifically, the decree concerns projects to expand water, power, railway, and road networks, as well as those related to ports and airports.
Works to lay the fiber as these projects are being carried out will be executed by the Digital Infrastructure Company (Société d’Infrastructures Numériques - SIN) which is fully owned by the State.
Connecting telephone towers to fiber optics networks
In line with the authorities’ ambition to rapidly deploy the fiber, it will be connected to nearby telephone towers.
Lawson stressed that “more than ever, it is necessary to cut costs to deploy the optical fiber and speed up its expansion,” in a context where the government plans to provide internet access to 95% of the population by 2025.
In this framework, the minister of the digital economy added that the adoption of the new decree “facilitates digital development in the country.” It also reminds us that “implementing the government’s development roadmap revolving around the digital sector will require broadband’s democratization and improving the quality of mobile network services.”
It should be emphasized that deploying the optical fiber, according to the ministry of the digital economy, directly aligns with Togo’s goal to become a digital hub and Africa’s top fiber-connected country, by 2025.
Séna Akoda
The covid-19 vaccine should be in by May-June (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
The Covid-19 vaccine should be available in Togo between May and June. This was announced by the Togolese minister of foreign affairs, Prof. Robert Dussey, in an interview with Israeli TV channel i24news.
While the situation in West Africa is already “under control”, Dussey insisted that the vaccine would help the Togolese population live normally. He supported the Covax initiative to facilitate access to the vaccine.
On the same occasion, the official lauded the cooperation between Togo and Israel, which began 60 years ago.
Off-grid power developer Daystar Power to enter the Togolese market
Nigerian power developer, Daystar Power, plans to start operating in the Togolese, Senegalese, and Ivorian markets. This is after raising $38 million with the help of the Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), a Danish bank, and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
The Nigerian firm, in effect, wants to expand access to solar power in West Africa, to 100 MW from its current capacity of 23 MW.
In Togo, Daystar Power should play a significant role in the government’s ambition to bring the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix to 50%, by 2030. This is one of the objectives of the national electrification strategy under which the whole country is expected to have full access to electricity by the same year.
Big projects, like the 50 MW Blitta solar power plant, have been launched to this end.
Séna Akoda
Togo validates local consumption promotion strategy
Yesterday, the workshop to validate the national strategy to promote local consumption in Togo came to an end. The two-day meeting was organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Local Consumption.
The strategy, ordered by the ministry, was elaborated with support (technical and financial) from the European Union (EU). It focuses on boosting investments in key sectors (like agriculture), in partnership with the private sector.
Moumouni Ouro-Salim, who provided consulting services for the document’s elaboration, said it should add value to local products, cut reliance on imports, boost employment, and foster decentralization.
In the long run, the new local consumption strategy should stimulate economic development, by boosting the market shares of local producers.
The initiative falls under Togo’s national development plan and its 2025 strategic vision. It also aims to prepare the country for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.
Mobile Money: The value of Flooz transfers was thrice the size of T-Money's between 2015 and 2019
Between 2015 and 2019, nearly CFA2,200 billion were transferred via Flooz and T-Money. The figure was reported by Togo’s minister of the digital economy and digital transformation, Cina Lawson, in a note addressed to the head of the PDP-NET (a parliamentary group) and deputy, Gerry Taama.
In detail, Moov’s mobile money platform, Flooz, is the most used in Togo with transfers exceeding CFA1,700 billion over the period reviewed. This is close to 78% of the total volume of transfers recorded by the two platforms; against 22% for T-Money (owned by Togocom).
According to some experts, the huge gap between the two operators could be due to the late launching of T-Money, and recent failures it experienced.
The country, data from the ARCEP indicates, recorded a substantial increase in the number of mobile money users in 2015-2019. Indeed, from 800,000 in 2015, the number of Flooz users soared to 5 million in 2019. Meanwhile, the number of T-Money users rose from around 500,000 (in 2016 when it was launched) to 4 million in 2019. The regular also noted that overall, 72% of mobile users have a mobile money wallet.
This surge pushed the penetration rate of financial services, from 10% in 2018 to 62% in 2019.
The trend, according to Cina Lawson was consolidated in 2020, by growing digitization in Togo.
Klétus Situ (intern)
T-Money records exceptional performance in 2020, despite issues relating to service quality
Though it is dealing with multiple issues related to the quality of its services, Togocom’s T-Money mobile money platform recorded an “exceptional growth” last year. At the end of November 2020, transactions via the platform amounted to CFA518 billion, said Cina Lawson, minister of the digital economy and digital transformation, in a recent message to deputy Gerry Taama who heads the NET-PDP, a parliamentary group.
The sum disclosed is nearly five times that recorded in 2019. For Lawson, the surge was sparked mainly by the Novissi cash transfer scheme launched to help the poorest cope with the Covid-19 crisis. However, the growing digitization resulting from the pandemic also played a major role. Added to these two factors are reforms related to e-payment put in place for some public services such as tax services or social security.
It should be noted that since the end of November 2020, T-Money registered some saturation, due to an aging infrastructure. The latter even caused recurring failures in service supply - a situation sanctioned by Togo’s telecom regulatory organ, the ARCEP.
Regarding these recent issues, Cina Lawson said the T-Money platform would be updated in the “coming weeks”, to better handle transactions that keep growing.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Haplucia seeks consultants to draw its anti-corruption strategy
The High Authority for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption and Related Offenses (Haplucia) launched a call for proposals to recruit three consultants to draw the national strategy to prevent and fight corruption and related offenses.
The document will improve the visibility of the Haplucia which struggles to efficiently tackle corruption in Togo.
It should be recalled that for several months now, Togo has been working hard to ensure the effective declaration of assets and property by persons subject to this obligation, especially government officials and all agents professionally exposed to the risks of corruption and related offenses.
In the long run, says Lomé, the declaration of property and assets will help ensure “transparency in the public sector, guarantee the integrity and probity of public servants, and prevent illicit enrichment.”
Séna Akoda
Microfinance: WAEMU releases situational analysis for H1 2020
In Togo, outstanding loans granted by microfinance institutions in H1 2020 grew by 5.3%. This was revealed in the BCEAO’s latest analysis on the economic situation of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
The performance, which is slightly higher than that recorded in H1 2019 (5.1%), makes Togo the fourth economic driver in the WAEMU. It comes behind Ivory Coast (+12.1%), Mali (+9.5%), and Benin (+6.2%). Togo however comes ahead of Senegal (+2.3%), Guinea Bissau (+1.7%), Burkina Faso (+1.5%), and Niger (-27.5%).
Overall, total outstanding loans for the WAEMU amounted to CFA1,505 billion in the first half of last year. Nearly half of this amount (48.4%) were short-term loans.
Regarding deposits, WAEMU’s central bank said CFA1,586.5 billion were recovered, as against CFA1,441.5 billion the year before. This represents an increase of 10.1% year-on-year. Here, Togo came behind Burkina Faso (+15.4%), Mali (+17.1%), and Benin (+17.2%), and ahead of Ivory Coast (+10%), Senegal (+2.6), Guinea Bissau (-5.3%), and Niger (-0.8%).
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Government plans a new eco-tourism project in the Akebou prefecture
An eco-tourism site will soon be built in Akébou, a prefecture located in the Plateaux region.
Experts from the ministry of tourism met last Tuesday to discuss the project. The related meeting was opened by the minister of tourism, Kossi Gbenyo Lamadokou.
According to Dr. Adata Kossi who is in charge of the economic and financial assessment of the project, the latter “will involve building an eco-tourism site, including a hotel that will require local materials, and get people to reconnect with nature.”
The project leverages the geographical and climate conditions of the site. “Indeed, the Akébou prefecture’s climate has a lot in common with the climate in the west. This zone has many advantages and natural resources which can contribute to the project’s success.”
Let it be noted that the project falls under the ministerial roadmap assigned to the tourism ministry. After it is validated, the initiative will be among the top investment projects, so that it gets rapidly implemented.