On Sept. 19, 2019, a council of ministers was held in Lomé to revise the 2019 budget for the country.

According to the meeting’s minutes, the budget has been scaled up by 2.8%, from XOF1,461 billion initially, to 1,501.9 billion. Budget rectifications take into account structural reforms needed to improve public spending management.

In addition, some policies of the General Tax Code have been amended to spur the implementation of the 2018-2022 national development plan.

Séna Akoda

On September 18, Togolese authorities held in Lomé a meeting to review procurement systems based on the MAPS methodology. MAPS is a universal tool which promotes and accelerates the implementation of modern, sustainable and more inclusive procurement systems.

The recent review takes place after another conducted in 2016. The latter, while lauding Togo’s procurement system, at legislative, regulatory and institutional levels, pointed out issues with behaviors of contracting entities, commented Koffi Tofio, cabinet chief at the ministry of economy and finance.

According to the official, one of the system’s shortcomings is an unusually long delay for procurement. “All actors involved in procurement process must assess their responsibility in regard to this issue. Such obstacles cannot persist. It is not acceptable. Especially in a context where the government does everything to modernize the public finance sector, with multiple reforms,” Tofio declared.

Séna Akoda

Last Tuesday, security and border experts of the Council of the Entente regrouping Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Togo, met in Lomé to elaborate new regulations to reinforce defense and security in the above-mentioned States.

The documents will be submitted to respective leaders of the Council’s States at the fourth annual meeting of Government and State leaders which is to take place tomorrow in the Togolese capital.

“Over the past five years, the Espace Entente has suffered multiple terrorist attacks, and that is exactly why we decided to focus on their prevention,” said Moko Issa, Director of the Department of Political Cooperation, Peace and Security at the Council of Entente.

Policies elaborated at the meeting aim to also spur cooperation between the council’s member States, to strategically tackle terrorist threats.

Tomorrow’s reunion it must be noted follows another held last week by ECOWAS members, plus Mauritania and Chad, during which they decided to implement a five-year plan to fight terrorism in the region.

Ayi Renaud Dossav

Yesterday, Togo’s chamber of commerce (CCIT) signed with the African Solidarity Fund (ASF) a partnership agreement to improve access to bank financing for business operators.

This was on the sidelines of a forum that regrouped industrialists, entrepreneurs, merchants and many others. The forum’s theme was: “Facilitating Access to Bank Financing for Togolese Businesses by Leveraging Operational Instruments of the African Solidarity Fund.”

According to Affo Dédji, ASF’s country representative, the agreement’s signing aligns with AFSF’s strategies to support businesses in African countries.

For CCIT’s president, Germain Mèba, the agreement should enable business operators to readily secure bank funding, through the ASF’s intervention mechanisms, such as financial guarantee, refinancing, and enhanced interest rate.

Let’s recall that last June, Sani Yaya, Togo’s minister of finance, had reached out to the ASF to finance the country’s 2018-2022 national development plan.

Séna Akoda

Togo and the permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization (ILO) have inked an agreement to improve access to decent jobs in the country, with a focus on youth, women, and the disabled. 

The agreement, a memorandum of understanding, falls under the Decent Work Country-Programme. It was signed yesterday in Lomé, by the government, the employers’ association, and ILO. While the government was represented by the minister of public works, Gilbert Bawara, ILO’s representative was its country director in Abidjan, Dramane Haidara.

“This new program, which is the fruit of a dynamic and inclusive process, revolves around many priorities, in line with the PND’s strategic objectives for a strong, sustainable and shared economic and social inclusion,” said the Togolese minister.

The program will be steered by the Togolese government, via a tri-partite committee in charge of its monitoring and evaluation.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, Lomé’s biggest market will be rebuilt. An international tender has been launched to this end by the procurement cell at the prime minister’s office.

Only 17 companies can bid for the project which is divided into four parts, knowingly: site development, leveling, major works; secondary works; network installation, high and low power, carpentry and metalworks.  

Interested companies have until October 29, 2019, to submit their bids, either via mail or physically at the Prime Minister’s office.

Initially expected to cost about XOF7 billion, reconstruction works are now expected to cost “around XOF22 billion, following architectural and execution studies which also took into account all actors’ observations,” according to La Tribune.

A technical visit is projected for next September 27.

 Séna Akoda

Lomé is currently holding a three-day regional meeting gathering nine West African Francophone countries and top-level experts in the framework of a meeting of the West African Health Organization (WAHO).

The theme of the event which began on September 17 is: “How to achieve universal health coverage faster? Community health officers, a key link.” Through the meeting, the OOAS and other participants will look into how public health officers can contribute to the achievement of this goal by 2030.

“Participants will not only mutually share their experience on how to reinforce community agents, but also assess how measures are initiated, how the parliament can support the project, and how other sectors can be involved, in each country,” said Keita Lamidou, representative of the OOAS.

Togo is the first to rely (since 2011) on the community health officers in the framework of this health strategy.

The meeting is financed by the USAID, through the Health Policy Plus (HP+) project. So, major attendants are representatives of the US embassy in Togo, and of the World Health Organization’s office in Togo.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi