May 25, the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR-Office Togolais des Recettes) launched at its headquarters in Lomé, a national census to develop a land inventory. This was disclosed to the press by tax commissioner, Adoyi Esso-Wavana Ahmed.

According to the commissioner, before collecting land tax, it is important to have crucial information about the given land, such as the name of its true owner or its usage; is it for a business or just a habitation?  Those are the details that will be found in the inventory.

The project will cover non-built properties, administrative buildings, and more.

In effect, starting next week, census agents trained solely for this mission will be deployed (with an ID badge) across the country, to get relevant data.

Beyond the need for a land inventory, the census aims at updating land data related to business operators. Moreover, data collected should help ease addressing in Lomé, and enable OTR develop a digital cadaster.

The campaign is to last three months in Lomé and will then be extended to other parts of the country.

Séna Akoda

A group of ten Togolese startups led by the minister of posts and digital economy, Cina Lawson, is currently in Paris for the Vivatech conference, which is under the patronage of French President, Emmanuel Macron.

“I came with about ten entrepreneurs who develop many apps. I would like to congratulate them for their constant genius,” the minister said in a tweet, adding that she is “proud to see Togo so well represented at such a big tech rendezvous”.  

This third edition of the event puts Africa forward, with a space especially dedicated to about 100 African startups. The Togolese delegation will have the chance to meet major global actors of the tech industry.

Already, Cina Lawson met with Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagamé, and UBA’s CEO, Tony Elumelu. She also had discussions with Edem Fiadjoe, CEO of JetSolutions, and Helton Yawovi, CEO of DashmakeStartup, two young Togolese of the diaspora.

It is important to indicate that President Macron has already promised to disburse €65 million for African startups, at the conference.

Last Wednesday, Togo’s employers association (Conseil national du patronat –CNP Togo) validated in Lomé its 2018-2022 strategic plan. This plan will cost CFA5 billion and support firms towards sustainable growth.

“This plan will help CNP-Togo overcome challenges that will arise in the years to come while analyzing social and economic environments and to anticipate and adapt to changes in order to foster the growth of its members,” said Laurent Coami Tamegnon, head of the association, during the validation ceremony which was presided by the minister of trade and private sector promotion, Bernadette Legzim-Balouki.

The official, that day, urged top executives of CNP-Togo to make sure the strategic plan is effectively implemented, reassuring them that government would, for its part, keep putting in place reforms to make private sector the driver of economic growth.

CNP-Togo’s 2018-2022 strategic plan was financially supported by the International Labor Bureau (ILB).

Fiacre E. Kakpo

In Togo, 70% of monies paid to users subscribed to insurance policies, yearly, come from health-accident insurances and car insurances.

Car insurances provide 33% of this value while 36.6% fall under health and accident insurances.

Meanwhile, penetration rate of insurance in the country is quite low, contributing less than 1.5% of GDP. According to the cabinet director of Togolese ministry of finances, Kossi Tofio, who revealed the information, monies paid by insured individuals under their subscribed policies are also very little.

Actually, this trend is not specific to Togo only but is recorded in most member States of the Inter-African Conference of The Insurance Markets (CIMA).  

Quite a paradox considering that this market is disputed by 13 firms, including six life insurers, and seven non-life insurers. In 2016, the market helped collect CFA53 billion of insurance premiums.

Séna Akoda

The World Bank has granted a funding of $200 million (about CFA110 billion) to 19 West African and Sahel countries, including Togo. This is in the framework of its Regional off-grid electrification project (ROGEP), which aims to provide beneficiaries support to foster a sustainable and scalable off-grid electrification market to meet the electrification needs of unserved populations (remote areas).

Under the project, standalone solar systems will be provided to households, public services, etc.

Funding allocated is divided into two parts. First is $60 million (about CFA33 billion) to organize the electrification market. And second is for a credit line of $140 million (about CFA77 billion) which will be used to support and develop supply and demand for off-grid solar systems. This component should interest solar equipment importers and distributors, as well as these equipment end-users, and households.

ROGEP is to be carried out for over five years, from April 2017 to August 2022. This in two distinct stages, namely: a one-year preparatory stage (already completed) and four years of effective implementation (ongoing).

Séna Akoda

Digital transformation. That is what the Togolese Social Security Fund (CNSS in French) relies on to accelerate its processes and improve the quality of its services.  

Indeed, the fund which is headed by Ingrid Awadé, launched since November 2017 a major project for digitalization. E-declaration was one of the services falling under this project.

Others such as requests for social mandate, certificates and individual insurance reports, submission of complaints and account verification, can also be done online, on CNSS’ website. Now, it is possible to calculate normal pension and anticipated voluntary pension; this would save employers a lot of time.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Ahead of the fourth ministerial meeting for the launch of the Single African Transport Market (SATM) which will be held in Lomé, on May 25-28, 2018, Asky Airlines, from Togo, and Rwandair, Rwanda, inked on May 22, a bilateral agreement to serve the countries respective capitals at lower costs.

Representing the two airlines during the signing ceremony were the respective ministers of transport of Togo and Rwanda, Ninsao Gnofam and Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye.

With the new agreement, Asky Airlines and Rwandair, and subsequently Togo and Rwanda, position themselves as pioneers of bilateral agreements for air services. Agreements which, let’s note, will be the main topic of the two-day meeting that will regroup members of the SATM next Friday.

Séna Akoda

In Lomé, a local products’ market was just launched by Togolese organic producers. The market is located at the FAO place and will open every Friday.

The initiative was led by Togo’s agricultural products processors cooperative (COTPAT), and various associations such as the Young Agricultural Entrepreneurs Forum (FOJEA) and Espace Vivi-Fruits. It emerged from the fact that farmers and producers fail to sell their output, due to insufficient outlets. Actually, this causes them to sell their products cheaply, making very little profit.

The local products market thus aims to valorize local organic products and boost their consumption and sales.

To achieve this goal, the market’s promoters intend to sensitize visitors about the benefits - mostly for health - of products offered. However, they also urged producers to improve their output’s quality.

Triggering a change in populations’ perception of local organic products would not only create more jobs, but also positively impact economic growth, the promoters indicated.

Products sold at the market include maize flour-made biscuits, oils, tea, syrups, spices, chocolate and soaps, among others.

Séna Akoda