Last Friday, Togo’s ministry of Urbanism called a meeting to discuss ways to vulgarize the recently adopted law n°02018-005 on land code.

The meeting was themed “Implementing the land code law to make land-related transactions and investments safer”. On this occasion, the ministry told actors concerned, namely banks and investors, about the reform’s importance and interest.

Indeed, Fiatuwo Kwadjo Sessenou, minister of urbanism, said: “Land reform restores trust between customers and banks”. The new law plans for more modern legal and institutional framework to secure land.

Brief review of land reform

Under the reform, all land transactions are subjected to holding a title. This measure aims, as indicated earlier, to make the transactions safer. It also simplified procedures to secure land deed and put notaries in charge of land transactions.

Along the adoption of the new reform, the government established a single land desk and a national agency for land management. Decisions spurred by the fact that “land uncertainty is harmful to economic development”. Truly, investors are often hesitant when unsure of their ownership right regarding a specific project land.

However, now with the new reform, banks are prone to invest in the long-term, providing loans and mortgages, once the loan taker provides a land deed.

Let’s also recall that this reform is one of many initiated by the Business Climate Cell, to make Togo’s business environment more attractive. It opens the path for the MCC threshold program approved few months ago.

Séna Akoda

The Togolese Minister of Basic Development, Handicraft  and Youth Employment launched a call for projects, as part of the celebration next August 12 of the International Youth Day. The aim is to select and award twelve (12) best youth-led micro-projects.

According to a ministry’s statement, the move has a double-target. First, empowering youth associations across the country and on the other hand, encouraging and promoting civic commitment of young people within associations.

Eligible projects include those centered on youth participation in community development, citizenship education and civic training, youth leadership development, and environmental protection. The call for proposals is valid until July 31. Terms of reference can be checked on www.devbase.gouv.tg

 Séna Akoda

Hawa Cissé Wagué, World Bank resident representative in Togo, who has replaced Joëlle Dehasse at the office last June 30, confirmed July 24^th the $40 million budget support announced by her predecessor, saying it should be effective “in a few months”. This was during a meeting with Prime Minister, Komi Sélom Klassou.

The facility, it may be recalled, was lauded by the Prime Minister two months ago when announced by World Bank’s Country Director for Togo, Pierre Laporte. “This $40 million financing would ensure good relations between the institution and our country,” Komi Sélom Klassou had said.

Let’s recall also that just a few days ago, the World Bank provided Togo a $30 million credit to improve urban infrastructures and management.

From $150 million in 2015, World Bank’s portfolio in Togo doubled to $350 million in 2018.  

Séna Akoda

Mobile operator Atlantique Télécom, also known as Moov, will have to pay CFA28 billion for the early renewal of its 2G and 3G licenses and their extension to 4G. This was reported in the H1-2018 Consolidated Financial Report published by Maroc Télécom, Moov’s parent company.

The money will be disbursed under three annual payments starting this month, the report said.  The second-largest mobile operator in Togo which is estimated to handle over 3, 151, 000 subscribers, through June 30, has already spent MAD28 million (about CFA1.6 billion) for the second and last tranche of its 3G license obtained in 2016.

Let’s recall that the newly obtained licenses (June 11) are set to run till December 31, 2036. The company is 95%-owned by Maroc Télécom.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Over the first half of 2018, Maroc Telecom which owns telecom operator Moov has recorded a turnover of CFA1,065 billion, which represents a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2017. Moov’s Togolese subsidiary, along with those present in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire mostly contributed to the performance.

In these countries, Moov’s performances were driven by a greater data consumption and mobile money transactions. Besides the three nations, the group’s six other sub-Saharan subsidiaries in Niger, Mali, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Gabon also fared well over the period reviewed.

As at June 30, 2018, these units generated CFA483.68 billion of revenues (7% rise compared to H1 2017) with a customer base of 38,239,000 users. This represented nearly 48% of Maroc Telecom’s overall turnover.

Regarding Moov Togo, its customer base grew by 19.6%, from about 2.6 million users a year before, to 3.1 million users at the end of the past semester.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo’s subsidiary of the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) has safely guided 6,300 flight between January and July 2018.

These flights include commercial and military flights, that of cargos and others, heading to the country’s two airports (Lomé and Niamtougou) or crossing Togo’s airspace.

The rising performance was attributed to the adoption of radar vectoring on March 1, 2018.

Séna Akoda