Lomé will host as of tomorrow September 1 the Innovation and Technology Fair (STIL) which aims to showcase technological advances in Togo and also stimulate participants’ creativity.

During the event, best initiatives will be rewarded through a competition centered on high-impact projects called “J'INNOVE”. Candidates will have to defend their project before a jury of experts.

In addition, various discussion panels are planned to allow attendees to share experiences on topics such as “impact of digital technology in agribusiness”, “financial institutions digitalization” and "quality approach towards innovation”. Let’s note that the STIL is supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

Togo’s National Agency for Food Security (ANSAT) has just purchased 15 tons of corn (valued at CFA2.4 million) from Kpessi famers in the Eastern Mono prefecture. Under this move, the agency aims to strengthen its security stock to prevent shortages and better support local producers in increasing production. However, ANSAT would be able to supply the grain market in the event of shortages which are mainly due to bad weather and seeding delays. The strategy “helps farmers gain higher selling prices and make profit”, we learned.  

The promoters of Lomé international fair (Foire Internationale de Lomé) announced on August 30, 2018, during a press conference that the 15^th edition of that fair will be held from November 23 to December 1, 2018. This year, Burkina Faso, Togo’s second largest client apart from Benin, is the special guest.

Placed under the theme: “La chaine de valeur vecteur économique du progress”, (value chain : a vector for economic progress), this trade and economic meeting will draw the two countries’ economic operators together, Bernadette Legzim-Balouki, Togo’s trade minister explained.

Over the years, Lomé International Fair qualified by WAEMU as the best fair in the sub-region has become the not-to-be-missed end of year event. It is the exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and roundtables opportunity for Togo and other participating countries’ economic operators.   

B2B meetings are also planned to establish partnerships with the different exhibitionists. Some days have especially been set apart for African countries.

French Group Canal+ announced August 29, 2018, the launch of a new package, baptized “Essentiel+”. This was during a press conference in Lomé.

With 130 channels, 17 of which are in high definition (HD), the new offer replaces Canal+’s former package which had only 12 channels. “Based on a survey of our customers, we wanted to improve this package with new channels, namely Canal+ Comédie and Canal+ Action which align with African realities, and Canal+ Sport for major sport events,” Canal+ Togo’s MD, Alexandre Cohen told the press.

Essentiel+ offers 12 entertainment channels, 4 specific sport channels, 5 general sport channels, and African channels. It adds to the existing packages which are Tout Canal, Access, Access+, Evasion and Evasion+.

“Our customers will have a broad range of offers to pick from… We always try to renew our programs, channels, organization, always for their satisfaction,” he added.

The new offer has been available since August 28 and can be subscribed to at any Canal+ branch. It costs 12,000 CFA against 10,000 for the former package.

Started in 2016, works to rehabilitate the 57km-long Notsé-Tohoun-Benin border road have been completed. They cost CFA35 billion.

Financed by the State and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), the road plays a major economic role for the Moyen-Mono prefecture in the Plateau region. It will indeed open up the landlocked prefecture and thus ease access to the Moyen-Mono hydrographic basin which has one of the greatest agricultural potential in the country.

The area is actually one of the three selected by the government to develop agro hubs. Other sites are the basins of Kara and Oti. The agropole project will, according to the government’s forecast, help create 25,000 jobs. It aims to boost the country’s local agricultural processing capacity.

Séna Akoda

In Togo, the implementation of the strategy for rapid growth and job promotion (SCAPE) advanced significantly last year.

In line with this strategy, the rate of national roads rehabilitated soared to 64%, from 60% in 2016.

Also, the mobile and landline penetration rate grew from 77.5% to 85.5%, while broadband’s rose to 27.8% (from 20.8%), according to the latest review of SCAPE, validated in Lomé, on Aug 29 and 30.

“Macroeconomic framework remained stable ; this means efforts to consolidate growth were sustained,” declared Paul Kamaga, technical secretary in charge of the poverty reduction strategy (DSRP), commenting on the figures. “GDP’s average annual growth rate in 2017 was 4.4%, against 5.1% in 2016,” he added.

SCAPE helped initiate major economic changes between 2013 and 2017. This year, it was replaced by the 2018-2022 national development plan, which is even more ambitious.

Next September 7, 2018, Togo’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIT) will organize an Open day dedicated to Portugal. This is an initiative of Nalmok Consulting, a language promotion centre backed by the CCIT.

The event, according to its promoters, should help promote Portugal as an export market in Europe and showcase business opportunities and products that the country has to offer, in the agro-food, textile, housing, tertiary education and construction materials sectors.

The initiative targets a broad range of business operators, students and any person interested in Portugal.

Scheduled under the event are B2B meetings between Togolese and Portuguese businessmen, as well as a seminar to discuss opportunities common to both nations. There will also be stands where Portuguese products will be displayed.

Séna Akoda

In Togo, the national social security fund (CNSS) gathered on August 27, 200 local business chiefs in Lomé, for a workshop to raise their awareness regarding the creation of safety and health committee, at their firms. Themed Methods, prevention and productivity for a sustainable development, the workshop aims to inform the business owners about the need to create “this committee where issues related to the employee’s safety are discussed”.

This was revealed by Richard Kodjo Ahadji, Service Head at CNSS. For her part, Tchilabalo Pilante who represented the institution’s managing director, said the meeting’s end goal is “to bring social partners to be aware of their responsibilities towards workers in regards to safety and health”.  

Truth is, each firm has to establish a safety and health committee as stated under the Labour Code, article n°174. The latter states that all companies with at least 25 employees must have an operational safety and health committee, to properly assess risks to which their workers are exposed.

The committees should strive to improve employees’ working conditions, thus contributing to a greater, yet healthier productivity and a more sustainable development of businesses in Togo.

Established since 1973, Togo’s national social security fund exists to protect workers in the country. It is presently headed by Ingrid Awadé.

To calm complaints regarding the recent increase of fuel pump prices, Togo’s minister of trade, Bernadette Legzim-Balouki, explained the decision on Tuesday, on Télévision Togolaise, the country’s public TV channel.

“In Benin, super unleaded costs CFA575, gasoil CFA580, and kerosene CFA590. Prices in Ghana, which produces a little oil, are even more expensive. There, super unleaded costs CFA587, gasoil CFA592 and kerosene CFA533, and we recently learned that prices over there increased even further,”  the official declared. 

Comparing Togo’s actual prices to those in above-mentioned countries, she added: “Togo which does not produce any oil and imports oil products rather is cheaper than other nations in the region”.

Reassuring populations, she then outlined that though prices were increased, this should not cause cost of transportation in the country to augment as well. Instructions were given to ensure that “no matter how limited State budget gets, public transportation cost is not increased. Cereals control divisions of the ministries of trade and agriculture will make sure there is no impact,” Legzim-Balouki said. The only thing left to do is making sure that the various measures are effective in order for populations not to suffer the hike.

Séna Akoda