In 2017, Togo’s official development assistance (ODA) amounted to $372.84 million (CFA217 billion). This was disclosed by Christophe Komlagan Akpoto, Head of Bilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Development Planning.

This, he did during a workshop to validate the 2017 ODA report. The latter took place July 10, 2018, in Lomé. The report was supported by UN Development Program (UNDP) which provides reliable, up-to-date and exhaustive data on schemes and projects financed with ODA. The workshop aimed at facilitating decision-taking regarding allocations and other various sources of financing.

The report, among its major highlights, reveals that grants represented 76.63% of ODA in 2017 while 23% of this figure corresponds to loans. Also, it appears that the European Union was the country’s major ODA provider (21.62%) last year.

According to Christophe Komlagan Akpoto, official development assistance in 2017 was directed to all sustainable development goals (SDGs), except SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources). 

Similarly, all five axes of the Strategy of Accelerated Growth and Promotion of Employment (SCAPE), which will soon be replaced with the national development plan (2018-2022 PND), were also funded, the official revealed.  

Fiacre E. Kakpo

The Community Development Emergency Scheme (PUDC) will purchase and set up 40 new multipurpose solar platforms in various rural communities across the country, a source obtained by Togo First stated.

In details, the platforms will provide power to the benefiting communities, enabling them to earn revenues, mostly with agriculture-related activities. For example, the power supplied via the solar platforms will facilitate shea processing, rice or corn husking, welding, reloading batteries, etc.

The ministry of grassroots development has launched an international tender subdivided into five lots for the project. Firms selected through the process will supply and set up the solar multipurpose platforms.

The project, let’s note, is financially backed by the government, in line with the national programme for multipurpose solar platforms development (PN-PTM).

Séna Akoda

In November 2018, Lomé will host a top-class regional forum on solar energies. The event will be organized by the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

Themed “Solar energy in WAEMU States: Overview, Challenges and Policies”, this forum will gather experts from various parts of the WAEMU and elsewhere, to review issues related to clean energy with a focus on solar power.

The event will also look at BOAD’s interventions in the sub-sector, involve an analysis of the market and ecosystem in relation to development strategies affecting solar power in WAEMU. On this occasion, participants will learn from partners such as AfDB, AFD, EIB or World Bank.

Government members, development partners, some NGOs, and other actors contributing to the development of clean energies within WAEMU Will also be present,.

The forum will take place on the sidelines of the 45th anniversary of the BOAD, which finances development projects across the union’s eight member countries.

On Monday, July 9, the Exchange and Research Centre for Leaders of Tax Administrations (CREDAF) started a 3-day seminar in Lomé, Togo.

During the seminar, the 33 delegates from 13 French-speaking countries will discuss challenges related to tax and duty payment, and then find appropriate measures to efficiently collect these revenues.

The meeting was called as a result of growing needs that States are recording in terms of domestic resources. According to Esso-wana Adoyi, Tax commissioner of Togo’s revenue office (OTR), the seminar will help various participants share their experience.

Jean-Marc Niel, CREDAF’s general secretary, for his part, hopes to determine best practices needed for tax administrations that are part of CREDAF, to implement more efficient collection policies. 

CREDAF is a francophone non-governmental and non-profit organization. Created in 1982 in Yaoundé, it regroups heads of tax administrations of 30 countries located on four continents.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

On July 9, 2018, an exchange meeting between Indian and Togolese business operators was held in Lomé, Togo’s capital.

On this occasion, beside Togolese businessmen learning more about opportunities that are available in India, a new win-win partnership framework between both nations was developed.

Actually, the Indian delegation led by Siddhart Jaain, Managing Director Ping-Pong Global Ltd, which is building a modern hospital in Togo, already said it is ready to invest in small and medium Togolese enterprises. “We wish to provide information to small and medium Togolese enterprises so that Togo will no more need to import in the future… Plus, it would be good for Togo to be the first to benefit from these projects in the sub-region”.

According to Germain Méba, Chairman of Togo’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIT), “India is ready to invest in Togo. What we need is just the right dynamic to get the most out of these opportunities”.

Last March, India, let’s recall, announced it would open an embassy in Togo by 2021.

In a recent press statement, the World Bank appointed as its new vice president for Africa, Hafez Ghanem. The Franco-Egyptian will be overseeing a portfolio of more than 600 projects valued at more than $71 billion.

Having worked for more than 30 years in Africa, Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and South Eastern Asia, Ghanem has a rich experience. Prior to his new position, he was leading the Middle East and Northern Africa region (MENA).

Under the 61-year old’s management, the financial institution plans to remain a strong partner on which Africa can rely to innovate, in regards to its development and financing, and ultimately rapidly grow and end poverty.

Ghanem replaced Senegalese Makhtar Diop who was appointed vice president of World Bank’s division for infrastructures, last May. The Egyptian assumed his new office since July 1, 2018. 

With a second quarter getting off to a great start marked by two successful issuances, Togo’s treasury plans to raise CFA50 billion on the regional financial market this month. The operation covers two 3-year and 5-year issuances of OAT fungible treasury bonds whose results are scheduled for July 20.

The sales occur as the country is regaining a foothold on the market, reflected by the latest successful operations. Indeed, two of the last three treasury issuances over-performed.

Out of the CFA55 billion sought in Q2 2018, Togo successfully captured CFA54 billion. However, the treasury retained only CFA51 billion. Still, this performance exceeds that of neighboring countries whose issuance curve are unsteady.

In Q3, Togo plans to raise CFA130 billion, broken into CFA110 billion OATs and CFA20 billion fungible treasury bills (BATs). As scheduled, the country’s OATs issuances target CFA50 billion in July, CFA40 billion in August and CFA20 billion in September. The only BAT-related transaction of CFA20 billion is scheduled for September.

Overall, the 8 WAEMU countries expect to mobilize CFAF916 billion through auction, divided into CFA438 billion treasury bills and CFA478 billion treasury bonds during the quarter.

 Fiacre E. Kakpo

Last week, Nouvelle société cotonnière du Togo (NSCT) rewarded the best cotton producers of the six production regions in Togo. The producers were awarded at the end of the tenth edition of the Togolese farmers’ forum (Forum national du paysan togolais-FNPT) held in Kara.

These farmers (54) were awarded on the basis of the productivity per hectare (yield per hectares) and the quality of their products.

The laureate (the best women producers and the best male producers) received tricycles, agricultural inputs, recognition certificates and funds ranging from CFA600,000 to CFA1 million.

According to Nana Nanfame, director of NSCT, this decision to award the producers is aimed at stimulating the sector (which has been affected by the climatic variations during the past campaign) to achieve better production. “Our aim is to distinguish the best, motivate and support the producers' groups for better production”, he explained in statements published by Agridigitale.

Let’s remind that for the current cotton campaign (2018/2019) launched at the end of  May 2018, the production is expected to reach 140,000 tons with yields estimated at 1,000 kg per hectares while the yield during the last campaign (2017/2018) was 117,000 tons. NSCT aspires to boost the production to 200,000 tons with improved yields estimated at 1,600 kg per hectares and 95% of premium cotton by 2022. Let’s also remind that about 40% of Togo’s exports revenues is generated from cotton.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

On July 7, 2018, Komi Selom Klassou, the Togolese prime minister met with Siddhart Jaain, managing director of the Indian company Ping Pong Global, to discuss the planning and construction of a reference hospital in Togo.

Announced in March 2018 after a memorandum between the Indian company and the government, this meeting is the concretization of the project. This hospital of international standard will host 300 beds with modern equipment.

This project “will help resolve health problems not only in Togo but also in the sub-region”, said Siddhart Jaain at the end of the meeting. “We will invite Indian doctors to work there and Togolese of the diaspora as well to contribute to the resolution of health problems in Togo”, he added.

With this project, the government just confirmed its will to improve the country’s health system by upgrading sanitary infrastructures and encouraging Public-private partnerships.

Though the location where this infrastructure should be built is not confirmed yet, the managing director of Ping Pong Global is optimistic. “We have the government’s support. On behalf of the president of the republic, the prime minister assured us that he will rapidly take all the appropriate measures to prepare the place to ensure that the project is effective”, he said.