The posts and telecommunications regulatory authority (ART&P) has launched a public call to interest for the establishment of an e-transaction trust chain.

This call aims at “identifying local actors who want an accreditation as electronic-certification service providers (PSCE) to issue electronic certificates to make electronics reliably and safely and then become qualified providers of trusted services (PSCQ).”

The services concerned here include time stamping, electronic filing and e-certificate services.

Togo let’s recall since 2017 adopted a legal framework for e-commerce. This tool was revised and updated as a new law and decree on electronic transactions were adopted. The decree mentioned came into effect after electronic signature became effective.

From Today to Thursday, the University of Lomé will host open houses to get students interested in maritime professions.

This is in a context where the country has to bridge the gap in skills deficit in this sector by hiring foreign labor.

Let’s recall that the authorities, to promote the blue economy, have opened at the University of Lomé an Institute of Maritime Professions (I2M). The latter would produce skilled professionals for the maritime sector and firms. The current open houses will present the institute, curricula it offers and outlets for students.

Togo it should be emphasized has the only deep-water port of West Africa and plans by 2022 to become a reference in the logistics industry across the region.

Séna Akoda

Six billion CFA. That is the value of all contracts signed by various agricultural actors (suppliers, farmers, processors and sellers) of Togo during the just-ended National Farmer Forum.

Overall, according to reliable sources, about a hundred contracts were signed during the event. Eight were in the presence of the minister of agriculture, Noël Bataka.

Sectors concerned by the deals are fruits and vegetables, soybeans, cashew, corn, cassava and aquaculture.

Séna Akoda

Last Saturday, a convention was signed between MIFA, SA KFB Group (Knowledge-Fusion Builders) and Banque togolaise pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BTCI).

According to Aristide Agbossoumonde, Director General of MIFA, “it will help purchase 300 mini-tractors to create mechanization firms.” It will in effect lead to the establishment of a guarantee fund of CFA6 billion supervised by the MIFA.

Farmers will be able to rent the mechanical equipment and improve their yields. In the long run, their cultivated areas’ revenues will increase and jobs will be created, subsequently wealth.

Séna Akoda

Togo has just received a $4.5 million grant from the European Union (EU). The related agreement was signed last Friday in Washington, between the World Bank and a Togolese delegation.

The Togolese delegation was led by Sani Yaya, minister of economy and finances, and Tignokpa Demba, minister of planning and development while the World Bank was represented by its representative in Togo, Hawa Cissé Wagué, and Pierre Laporte, outgoing Chief of operations of the Bretton Woods institution in Togo.

The grant is actually an EU subsidy arranged by the World Bank, to support the implementation of Togo’s Economic Governance Support Programme (PAGE).

“The project’s purpose is to improve investment management, mobilization of internal resources, and strengthen reimbursement mechanisms as well as better monitoring of goods and services supply in key sectors,” declared Yaya.

“This is a successful example of synergy between actions of the WB and the EU to help Togo fight poverty and improve governance,” he added.  

The PAGE, let’s recall, was officially launched in October 2018. The program which will be implemented over five years, benefits from a $20mln financing from the World Bank and the EU.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi, special envoy, Washington

Togolese nationals living outside the country sent home more than $500 million in 2018. This is revealed in the latest update of the World Bank on remittances.

In Africa, Togo is the tenth in terms of remittances and this ranking is far dominated by Nigeria. According to the Bretton Woods institution, the remittances sent by Togolese represent 8.5% of the country’s GDP, the strongest ratio in the sub-Saharan Africa region, ahead of nations like Nigeria and Ghana.

Remittances outstrip ODAs and FDIs  

Monies sent by the Togolese diaspora exceed official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investments (FDIs) and are today the country’s main external source of financing, according to official data (2017). However, they are underestimated due to informal transfers.

A survey, backed by the PNUD, conducted in 2017 and whose results were released mid-2018 by Lomé indicates: 53% of remittances are sent to support families home. Most of the funds are dedicated to food, health and education. This clearly attests of their contribution to human development in Togo. Yet, studies by the World Bank say they could better contribute to inclusive growth, creating jobs, by partly being used for community or high-benefit projects.

A roadmap to better organize the diaspora

In line with its desire to get the diaspora involved in the deployment of its national development plan (PND), Lomé has just issued a roadmap for Togolese living outside the territory. This roadmap, according to Robert Dussey, minister of foreign affairs, “aims at ensuring a better organization of the diaspora so that it is more engaged in the efforts to develop the country.”  

Its implementation should help “mobilize investments, skills and know-how of the diaspora, develop a program under which both migrants and authorities will jointly carry out development projects in their home country, as well as a solidarity volunteering project for growth.”  Besides the poor organization of the diaspora, another major issue related to remittances is the prohibitive cost of some transfer media, in Africa especially.

Nigeria, a giant like no other

In 2018, remittances sent to the sub-Saharan Africa region stood at $46 billion, up 9.6% compared to 2017 where they were valued at $42 billion.

Nigeria alone captured more than half of the amount recorded last year, $24.3 billion. Far behind the giant are Ghana and Kenya with $3.8 billion and $2.7 billion respectively. Within the WAEMU, Senegal, Mali and Togo are also countries that captured substantial remittances in 2018.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Between 2013 and 2017, the volume of Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) containers handled at the Port of Lomé, has tripled from 311,470 to 1,193,841.

Dominique Chantrel, who is in charge of managing the UNCTAD’s port programme, declared during a coordination meeting for the TrainForTrade : “The economic development of the Port of Lomé is so significant and has made this infrastructure one of the world’s largest.”  

This reminds of a similar comment by Ammar Kanaan, new head of the Lomé Container Terminal, who recently said: “The port works well and productivity at its docks is rising year-on-year making our terminal one of the most performant to date.” Kanaan also revealed a €500 million investment plan aimed at increasing to four million the port’s containerized traffic.

Séna Akoda

The government plans to soon launch a campaign to identify all agricultural lands in Togo. This was disclosed yesterday, on the first day of the 11^th National Farmer Forum in Kara, by Noël Bataka, minister of agriculture.

The move aligns with a decree passed last Feb. 27^th, forcing all rural land owners to valorize their property or have it transferred to any person interested in doing so and submitting a request to this end. Of course, the land will be exploited under specific lease terms.

Bataka indicated that leases will be signed between land owners and agricultural entrepreneurs, under the State’s supervision. These will guarantee revenues for the country.

The authorities, in the long run, wish to harness the lands’ agricultural potential as only 45% (1.53 million ha) of Togo’s total arable lands (3.4mln ha) are valorized now.

Séna Akoda