Last Wednesday, the Togolese government adopted at a ministers' council a bill enabling the ratification of the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data adopted in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Togo, by ratifying the convention aims to tackle issues closely related to technological innovation and more specifically to the boom of the digital industry. According to the ministers' council, "this should add to efforts made by the government in the same framework. Indeed, authorities placed the digital sector at the heart of the national development plan (PND). The ratification should in effect improve upon the country's institutional and legal frameworks, but also help Togo better cooperate with other countries, in relation to electronic transactions, promotion of cybersecurity and fighting cybercrime."

Let's recall that in March this year, Togo reached an agreement with Asseco, a Polish IT security company, to launch Cyber Defense Africa, a cybersecurity agency. This was on the sidelines of the African CEO Forum held in Kigali.

In the same vein, the country plans to create its national cybersecurity agency and put in place a Cybersecurity Support Fund, a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Security Operating Center (SOC).

Séna Akoda

"African economies suffer...backlashes of the current global difficult times and this translates into a moderate growth across the whole region." These are words spoken by Cameroonian Albert Zeufack, chief economist of World Bank for Africa, to sum up the 20th Africa's Pulse half-year report focused on Africa's economic situation.

In 2019, sub-Saharan African economies should grow by 2.6% against 2.5% last year. This is 0.2 percentage points lower than the forecast made last April. The slow performance, World Bank says, is due to a not-so-impressive recovery of Africa's three mastodons, Nigeria, Angola, and South Africa. Indeed, while the oil sector in the first two lacks sufficient dynamism, investors shun the last according to the Bretton Woods Institution. The latter believes the slow recovery of these three economies should, alone, hamper economic growth across the whole sub-Saharan region, despite improvements in many other countries such as Togo.

Regarding the latter (Togo), the IMF has, last month, once more scaled up its growth forecast for the West African economy for the year, putting it at 5.3%. In the medium term, the institution is more optimistic than the World Bank, in a context where Togo's public debt is falling and where the government recently launched its national development plan which extends to 2022.

A three-day workshop was started last Tuesday by Togolese authorities to develop an anti-drug policy for the 2020-2024 period. If validated, implementing the new strategy should cost $21 million.

The new policy "focuses mainly on reinforcing the system of coordination designed to fight drugs, improve upon related repression and law enforcement operations, as well as any associated legal component." This was disclosed by Lieutenant-Colonel Amayi Kossi, Permanent Secretary of Togo's Anti-Drugs Committee. According to the official, the plan, which will span four years, will also involve "freezing and confiscation of criminals' assets."

At the launch of the workshop, the minister of civil security, Yark Damehane, who was present recalled some of the efforts made by the country to fight drugs. This includes the implementation in 2011 of the Mixt Unit for Container Control (UMCC) at the Port of Lomé, the creation in 2012 of the Anti-Trafficking Airport Cell at Lomé's airport, as well as the reinforcement of the legal framework for the fight against money laundering and terrorism funding.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Last Monday, the International Labor Organization (ILO) organized in Lomé a regional forum on the formalization of informal economic operators. The event themed Formalizing the informal economy and ensuring social protection gathered public policies, social partners, and ILO experts to discuss ways to improve the lives of more than two billion people working in the informal sector worldwide.

On this occasion, good practices to foster the transition of the informal sector to the formal were disclosed. Moreover, it was revealed during the meeting that one of the best ways to improve the lives of informal actors (micro-entrepreneurs and others) was to provide them with better social protection.

Present at the forum, Mazamaesso Assih, State Secretary in charge of the Delegation for the Informal Sector's Organization (DOSI) mentioned efforts made by Togo in this area, noting among others the improvement of procedures required to start a business, as well as better access to public procurements. Other relevant achievements cited include the adoption of the new tax code and the creation of the National Fund for Inclusive Finance.

At the moment, revealed the State Secretary, there are ongoing talks for the implementation of a social protection regime for those operating in the informal sector which represents 80%-90% of the national economy.

Séna Akoda

In line with ongoing land reforms, the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) will equip next month the single land desk. Two firms, namely CIS AFRICA and HI-TECH INFORMATIQUE, have been picked for this purpose through a tender launched under the Tax Governance Support Project (PAGFI).

The first company will supply IT and office equipment while the second will supply specific equipment for the desk. The equipment is valued at more than XOF275 million.
The equipping of the desk marks a step forward toward its operationalization.

Let's recall that, by establishing a single land desk, the government's objective is to reduce costs related to deed issuance and offset risks associated with land-related formalities. All formalities relative to land registration should take place at the desk, official sources indicate.

Séna Akoda

Last year, Togo's cashew exports generated XOF7 billion, for a volume of 15,000 tons, according to data from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).
Compared to 2017 where cashew exports amounted to XOF2.5 billion, this represents an annual growth of 180%.

This, it should be noted, is a trend sustained since 2016 where the exports were valued at XOF0.8 billion, before rising to XOF2.5 billion the following year. However, in 2014, the sector recorded a drastic fall in performance, due to the global commodity crisis. Indeed, that year, revenues from cashew exports tumbled by 70%, compared to 2013, to XOF600 million, and stagnated at this level in 2015.

In the first quarter of this year, Togo exported 1,035 tons of cashew to India, one of its largest customers says N'Kalo. This is an improvement compared to volumes sent to the sub-continent over the same period in 2018; this despite India's global cashew imports having fallen over the period.
Togo eyes a cashew output of 24,000 tons this year.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Recently granted an audience by President Faure Gnassingbé, Coralie Gervers, the new chief of operations of World Bank in Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea, discussed with the leader ongoing reforms in Togo and how the World Bank can support their implementation.

Following the meeting, which is Gevers' first as the new chief of operations of the Bretton Woods institution, she commented: "We had an interesting discussion on efforts started some years now and how the World Bank could back them. We currently have a portfolio of about $400 million dedicated to the development of the private sector, economic growth, and job creation." This portfolio, she added, also helped improve service quality in health, education and social protection.

"We also talked about future actions and of our (ed. note: World Bank) commitment to the country's development policy," she added while referring to future plans relative to the support of the World Bank to Togo's 2018-2022 national development plan.

Séna Akoda

BOAD finances Togo’s Agricultural Development Support Project (PADAT) under which more than 162 km of roads will be built or rehabilitated in the Kara and Savanes regions.

In detail, respectively 84 km of access routes and 78 km of service routes will be built or rehabilitated in the two regions.  

The service routes are located in four prefectures, namely Tône, Tandjoare, Kpendjal, and Dankpen while three are concerned by the works relating to access routes. The works are expected to last six months and are divided into five lots.

A tender has been launched to select firms that will undertake the project. Interested companies have until November 5, 2019, to submit their applications. Additional information is available at the ministry of agriculture which oversees the PADAT.  

Séna Akoda