Amea Togo Solar will build a 50MW solar plant in Blitta (271km north of Lomé).

The related concession agreement was signed on November 26, 2019, by the firm and the government. Their respective representatives were Alnowais Hussain Jasim and Dèdèriwè Ably Bidamon, minister of energy.

Under the deal, the State grants Amea Togo Solar all rights to design, finance, build, launch, operate and maintain the facility. In return, the firm will transfer, after concession, power produced at the plant to the State, via the public utility network.

Let's recall Togo's ambition to provide power to two million people through solar, by raising the rate of electrification in rural areas. Indeed, it intends to increase it to 50% in 2022 (from 8% now, and 100% by 2030.

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Paulin Alazard is the new chief of Togocom. The Franco-Malagasy officially replaced Atcha-Dedji Affoh on November 25, 2019. On this occasion, Alazard said his actions would help make the holding one of the most important of the region.

Before assuming his new position, Alazard was deputy managing director and financial director of Telma Madagascar. He also previously worked at Celtel, Airtel, PwC, and Zain.

The change of manager occurs subsequent to the takeover of Togocom by its new majority stakeholder, Agou Holding (51%). The latter is a consortium that regroups Malagasy firms Axian Group and pan-African investment fund Emerging Capital Partners (ECP).

Agou Holding, in line with its development plan for Togocom, plans to invest nearly €245 million over the next seven years, in connectivity infrastructure, fibre optics and the deployment of 5G.

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The Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) is currently holding a workshop on online payment for Large and Medium Entreprises. Started yesterday, it should close tomorrow.

The workshop aims at enabling its participants to "better apprehend e-payment's various processes."

It follows the implementation of a new reform enforcing the online payment of taxes and duties, on October 15, 2019. The reform is part of a battery of measures aimed at improving Togo's business climate.

This recent reform was born from partnerships between the OTR and various banks including Orabank, the BTCI, and Ecobank. It falls under a more global strategy of the OTR to digitalize its services.

Séna Akoda

On November 28 and 29, Lomé will host the HCTE-Réussite Diaspora forum. The event which is organized by the ministry of foreign affairs aims at strengthening relations between Togo and its diaspora (about 1.5 million Togolese living outside the country).

At this occasion, all 77 recently elected delegates of the High Council of the Togolese Diaspora (HTCE) will be officially inaugurated. Moreover, the second edition of the Diaspora Awards Night (Nuit des Réussites Diaspora) will be held during the forum.

The HTCE was established to better engage the diaspora, in Africa, Europe, and North America in the country's development. Its delegates who were elected last September are in charge of four regions: Africa (45 delegates), Europe (19), America (6), and Asia-Oceania (7).

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Over the past three quarters, Lomé's airport generated for the State XOF3.54 billion of royalties.

This figure is 168% more than the amount expected by the government under its 2019 finance law (2.1 billion). It is also far above the XOF670 million collected last year over the same year.

In detail, the AIGE paid 1.19 billion in the first two quarters, and 2.35 billion in the third.

Let's recall that over the first five months of 2019, traffic at the airport was estimated at 150,660 arrivals and 95,279 departures. These represent respective increases of 13.3% and 7.8% compared to the year before.

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In Togo, many power facilities will be rehabilitated and reinforced through the power reform and investment project (PRISET).

The works have been divided into two contracts. The first was attributed to STEG INTERNATIONAL SERVICES from Tunisia and the second to ABB TECHNOLOGY from Côte d'Ivoire.
Works to be carried out by the Ivorian should cost around XOF1.7 billion, according to the award notice released by the CEET, Togo's public utility. They cover the rehabilitation of sub-stations.

ABB TECHNOLOGY will have 12 months to complete the works which it should be noted align with the country's electrification strategy to achieve universal access to power by 2030.

Séna Akoda

Applications to the Sustainable Energy Young Enterprises (JEDD in French) are now open.
Eligible to apply are young entrepreneurs who operate in the power sector and have been active for at least two years in any French-speaking sub-Saharan African countries. They have until December 31, 2019, to submit their applications.

The contest is organized by the Francophonie's Institute for Sustainable Development (IFDD), the Energy Generation and the West African Office of the Francophonie's International Organization (OIF).

Through this event, participants will get some media coverage, exposure to investors and other entrepreneurs, speed up their growth, develop fund mobilization strategies, have multiple business opportunities and be monitored by the best experts and partners.

Winners will get the JEED award of the Francophonie. The top three will also get support from their incubation up to when they access investors.

Séna Akoda