New appointments were made within Togo’s ministry of finance and economy.

Sallah Ataovi Soeké, previously central inspector was appointed general inspector of treasury.

Emegnimo Elonyo, previously central inspector of treasury was raised to the position of deputy director general of treasury and public accountability.

Next is Atekissim Alimondom, who was previously central inspector of treasury also. He will now be director of treasury.

The new appointments fall under the restructuring process started last January 11, at the ministry of finance and continued March 7.

Séna Akoda

In Togo, the Active Youth Association (RJA) which fights global warming just made a significant investment in cashew farming in Kara, in the North.

On Monday, May 29, 2018, this group provided 7,000 cashew seedlings worth CFA5 million to farmers, via institutions in charge.

Through this, they wish to, not only boost cashew output, but also help fight desertification.

The move is surely good news for the cashew industry whose footprint has expanded greatly over the past years. Indeed, in 2016, Togo exported 190 tons and 161 tons of cashew nuts to the European Union and the United States, respectively.

In fact, given its growing presence in the local agricultural sector, during the sixth Agrifood and Agricultural International Fair of Lomé (SIALO) held in 2017, a whole day was dedicated to the crop. This allowed a better exposure of the sector and its opportunities to the public.

In the 2017/18 season, Togo’s cotton output rose by 8% to 117,000 tons, sources from the government revealed Wednesday. This is far below initial target which was 130,000 tons.

Average price to producers was increased to CFA260/kg as compared to CFA240 the previous season.

According to Nana Adam Nanfame, Managing Director of Nouvelle Société Cotonnière du Togo (NSCT), cited by Reuters, harvest was impaired by low rains, but was balanced by a greater sown area.

For the 2018/19 season, officials expect an output of 140,000 tons. By 2022, this output should rise to 220,000 tons, with a 95% top quality rate, and an average field yield of 1600kg/ha. More than 200,000 farmers would have to commit to achieve this goal.

Cotton, let’s remind, contributes about 40% of Togo’s exports.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Last April, Togo and Equatorial Guinea’s respective ministers of energy signed a memorandum of understanding to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the second nation to the first.

Now, the Togolese minister, Marc Ably Bidamon, revealed that Equatorial Guinea actually intends to use Togo’s port as a medium to supply landlocked nations of the region with LNG.

Once at the port of Lomé, LNG sent by Equatorial Guinea will be regasified before being transported to landlocked nations, namely Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

World Bank could provide a budget support to Togo this year. This was disclosed by President Faure Gnassingbé, after meeting with a World Bank delegation led by the institution’s director Pierre Laporte in Togo.

The commitment -$40 million- was actually announced by Laporte, and according to President Gnassingbé, it aims to sustain a cooperation of quality between the institution and Togo, a cooperation which the leader lauds.

During the meeting, the Bretton Woods institution discussed this cooperation as well as the government’s efforts regarding air transport, referring in this aspect to the recent ministerial meeting for the operationalization of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

Let it be recalled that so far, the World Bank has invested more than $320 million in Togo, spread across various projects (in the sectors of energy, mining, social, etc.)

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Safer, an independent firm that finances road maintenance, has just launched a call to tender for the supply and installation of a video surveillance system at the tollbooths of Alédjo, Défalé and Sotouboua, as well as improving the axle load control post of Djéréhouyé (Atakpamé).

Delay to carry out the project is three (3) months and it will fully be funded by Safer.

Tenders must be submitted to SAFER’s permanent cell for procurement management, latest by June 15, 2019, at 9 AM.

Eligibility criteria include having had, in the past five years, a similar contract with a value at least 30% of the actual contract (all taxes included). Candidates should also have proof of a credit facility whose amount is half that of the actual contract, at least.

Last, bids should include a submission guarantee that respects the call to tender requirements. This guarantee, amounting to CFA3 million, must be issued by a certified bank operating in Togo.  

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Last Monday, a training was started to teach magistrates (38 of them) of the administrative chambers of the Lomé Supreme Court and Kara’s appeal court.

The training which also targets court presidents and public prosecutors, will focus on procurements, how they are regulated and provided, as well as litigation management.

The goal here is to equip the law intendants with knowledge of public procurements in order for them to better handle related conflicts, fairly. Topics covered by the training include call to tender management, procurements provision procedure, regulation and management of conflicts resulting from procurement provision.

Commenting on the program, Suzanne Soukoudè-Fiawonou, Managing Director of the training centre for law professions, said she hopes that it would help Togolese magistrates take fairer decisions in procurement cases. The program will end June 1, 2018.

Séna Akoda

French giant Total, which has been in Togo for decades, has ventured into the Fast-Food industry, in the country.

Indeed, customers will now be able to order Western foods but also Togolese and African meals at the company’s gas stations in Totsi and BTCI (on the boulevard facing BTCI), in Lomé. There, they will also be able to charge their various devices.

To enter the fast-food market, Total-Togo teamed up with “La Croissanterie” which is a very popular brand in Europe, and “Tweat”, an Ivorian brand whose specialty is chicken.

“We are the leader of the oil and lubricants market. We wish to remain that by innovating and offering food services at the European level,” said Adrien Bechonnet, MD Total-Togo, during the launch of the new service on May 23, at Totsi’s gas station.

Séna Akoda