Togo First
Togo: Reform related to driving license provision completed at 85%
On the sidelines of a press conference held April 18, the Road and Railway Transports Directorate (DTRF) revealed that the reform related to driving licence’s provision is 85% complete.
“Presently, this reform is at 85% of completion. Our goal is to prevent bribing when applying for a license,” declared Délato Agbokpè (photo), head of DTRF.
Regarding the matriculation of bikes and cars, the process was automatized and now it can be done within two days, enabling more transparency and traceability in the process. “Every person buying a vehicle can have it registered, get the associated card and a plate, all within the said period,” according to M. Agbokpè
“We are now proceeding to a clean-up of driving schools, ensuring that they have the required certifications to operate as optimally as they should,” he added.
Séna Akoda
Togo: Government reduces fees for vehicle matriculation
Togo’s administration, after the reform regarding used cars registration (under 24 hours) at the Port of Lomé, has now initiated a set of measures aiming to speed up services related to car registration, provision or amendment to driving licenses, among others.
This, the government did, by automatizing many processes and adopting innovative payment solutions such as Mobile Money (T-Money and Flooz) to save time and money.
www.mit-dgt-dtrf.tg is a website developed to ease registration of cars and view online results of tests passed to obtain driving licenses.
“Automatization allows not only documents to be traceable and transparent, but speeds up the service,” Kokou Delato Agbokpè, Director of Road and Railway transports (DTRF) told a press conference last Wednesday.
Within 48 hours, excluding customs and insurance processes, every citizen can get a plate and a license from now on. In addition, associated costs will also reduce.
Indeed, matriculation of vehicles at DTRF now costs CFA25500 including VAT for used cars with less than 15 horsepower, CFA35,000 for cars with more than 15 horsepower, CFA15,000 for new cars and CFA10,000 for bikes.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
Lomé to host major entrepreneurship conference next May 11
Next May 11, Togo’s leading entrepreneurs will meet at Ecobank’s headquarters in Lomé, in the framework of an international conference on social entrepreneurship. This was disclosed in a statement sent to Togo First.
Jointly organized by U.S. embassy, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) and ALAFFIA, it will regroup entrepreneurs, decision makers, business lawyers, investors, local development actors, and every person interested in social entrepreneurship. Its theme is “Innovate, Impact and Grow in solidarity”.
The conference is “a must in the global entrepreneurship world and Africa, especially”. Other people to be present include officials, diplomats, firm and institutions’ chiefs, from Togo and elsewhere. That day, Ecobank’s CEO, Ade Ayeyemi, will give an inaugural speech.
Talks at the event will focus on the importance of social enterprises for sustainable growth and tackling legal and social challenges. Financial issues faced by most of these businesses will also be discussed, alongside opportunities brought up by technological development.
To participate in the conference, fill the following form: https://lc.cx/W8Pi
For more information, visit: https://conference.socialbusiness.tg/
Fiacre E. Kakpo
Togo : Presidential Youth Forum postponed
Initially scheduled for April 20 and 21, the Presidential Youth Forum has been postponed to an unknown date.
The delay is due to the President, who will be present at the event, being actually busy. “The Head of State wants to be by the youth's side throughout the forum. Unfortunately, his busy schedule does not allow him to,” explains the National Organization Committee.
The forum which is an idea of the President aims to enable him meet with the youth, to discuss their concerns and find answers to those. 1,500 young people are expected to participate.
Prof. Dodzi Kokoroko, head of the organization committee, adds that the forum is “designed for the youth and will be organized by the youth”.
Ahead of the event, there were regional fora which helped draw some suggestions regarding issues faced by Togolese youth.
Séna Akoda
Togo to insure universal electronic communications service
Togo is gradually providing universal electronic communications service to its populations. A draft decree was adopted in this framework on April 18, 2018 and defines rules that applies regarding this universal service.
In effect, the measure aims to, according to the government, “provide all citizens, regardless of their place of residence or level of income, full access to electronic communications”. This involves raising internet’s penetration rate from its current level (21% only) and lowering costs of services provided by telecom operators.
Regarding the latter, the recent launch of Teolis SA and Group Vivendi Africa should contribute significantly. Indeed, it foretells a rise of competition in the telecom sector, with more innovative and affordable offers.
Still in order to boost access to telecom services, Wi-Fi hotspots are being deployed in public spaces all over the country. The project is still at its pilot phase and is so far carried out in Lomé. By 2030, Togo expects that all those with no internet at home would have access to a hotspot nearby; “that is within a 5km range at least”.
Séna Akoda
With agropoles project, loans to farmers should rise from 0.3% to 5% of all bank loans
Agropoles. These are what Togolese authorities are betting on to radically change farmers’ lives. In this framework, they want to raise agricultural loans from 0.3% to 5% of all bank loans granted in the country.
It would be quite an achievement considering that farmers so far were not much favored by lenders in Togo.
To remedy this, government decided to accelerate farmers’ financial inclusion, help them regroup as cooperatives and most importantly ease their access to bank loans. To this end, a guarantee mechanism is planned and agricultural offices will be set up to assess relevant projects seeking funding.
In the long run, agropoles’ development in Togo would foster agricultural transformation, thus creating jobs, wealth and boosting incomes of rural people.
The project, according to forecasts, should impact at least a million farmers by 2021.
Séna Akoda
Cotton : Togo produces 180,000 tons during 2017-2018, against 108,000 the previous season
For the 2017-2018 campaign, Togo’s New Cotton Company (NSCT) eyed an output of 160,000 tons of cottonseed but finally recorded an output of 180,000 tons. This is far above the previous campaign’s output, knowingly 108,000 tons.
The new figure was released during the 11th meeting to review the regional program for integrated cotton production in Africa, organized by NSCT.
The surge in output is attributed to the many initiatives led by the government to improve agricultural productivity. A decision motivated by the fact that the sector contributes to 40% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to the ministry of agriculture, fisheries and husbandry.
Also, it should be noted that cotton generates about 40% of Togo’s export revenues. By 2022, cotton output is expected to reach 200,000 tons, according to NSCT.
Séna Akoda
NOWA gets CFA4 billion loan from BIDC to open palm oil factories in Côte d’Ivoire and Togo
ECOWAS investment and development bank (BIDC) committed to support palm oil producer Nada Oil West Africa (NOWA) so that it establishes factories and plantations in Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
Indeed, Republic of Togo, citing the firm’s CEO, Ernest Dally Zabo reported that the bank just lent it CFA4 billion to this end.
Created in 2016, NOWA which is based in Bonoua, Grand-Bassam department (Côte d’Ivoire) is an Ivorian firm with a capital of CFA100 million.
The firm also produces, stores and sells refined palm oil and its derivatives.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
State to reassume management of Ibis hotel in Lomé today?
Does the State plan to takeover, once again, management of IBIS hotel?
According to local media which reported the news, citing Rédacteur Libre, Ibis’ concessionaire was notified of non-renewal of the hotel’s 15-year lease by its sponsors.
Takeover is expected on April 18, 2018. The hotel’s sponsors are said to “have delayed renovations and exploited the site beyond its capacities”. So far, no official denied the information.
Established since 1960 and trusted to Accor which run it since 2002 under the name Ibis, the complex was inaugurated during the independence and renamed Lebenin, which in Ewe means “caretaking”. It has 108 air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a pool and a large garden.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
Togo: Emirati Emaar Hospitality Group will run 2 Février hotel from now on
This should end “brandless management” of the 2 Février hotel after Radisson’s exit.
According to Focus Infos, local newspaper, this hotel will now be managed by Emaar Hospitality Group, a reference in the sectors of hospitality, real estate and leisure, in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
The group will boost the activity of the hotel; a good news, considering that this activity has slumped over the past year. It should also attract more tourists and investing firms, like Emirate Airline, in the country.
The newspaper added that the hotel group plans to open its regional headquarters in Lomé. German Marcel Brekelsman was appointed to restructure the hotel.
Séna Akoda