Togo First
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
PRADEB : 3402 youths trained, 800 loans granted and 2100 jobs created at December 31, 2017
Launched in 2013, with BOAD’s support, the support program for grassroot development (PRADEB) has recorded many achievements since then.
In its framework, at Dec. 31, 2017, 2100 direct and indirect jobs were created, 800 loans totaling CFA1.9 billion were used to provide technical and financial support to projects led by 3402 young graduates and artisans.
Projects supported spread across major socio-economic sectors such as craftsmanship where 933 new jobs were created, animal production (357 jobs), retail and trade (312), crop production (267). Meanwhile, services and processing each recorded 189 and 42 new jobs respectively, over the past four years.
In terms of financing, craftsmanship got the most loans, CFA851 million to be exact. Next is agriculture with 604 million, while trade and services, respectively got 275 million and 170 million CFA, since PRADEB began.
Regionally, it is the Plateaux that benefited most from the initiative with 878 youths trained and 298 loans secured, thus creating 816 jobs.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
Togo: Government bans Total herbicide due to negative effects of one of its components, Glyphosate
Togo has banned import and sales of Total’s herbicide. According to the minister of agriculture, fisheries and husbandry, Ouro-Koura Agadazi, the product contains Glyphosate which is dangerous for human and animal health and the environment as well.
The measure was taken to “protect not only the environment but the health of humans and animals also”.
The ministry of agriculture recalls that the n°96-007/PR of July 3, 1996 for plant protection does not allow the use of the controversial pesticide.
To prevent any conflict with businesses in the agricultural sector, the minister in charge of the sector said that “importing any pesticide in the country is subject to professional approval and an import certification, provided that it is compliant with Togo’s phytosanitary regulation”.
Random checks will be carried out and any person infringing the new measure “will be sanctioned under law”, the minister warns.
Séna Akoda
Amid Tilapia lake virus alert, Togo bans the species import
After DRC, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso recently, Togo just banned “temporarily” import, sale and exposition of tilapia.
In a decree issued by the ministries of trade and fisheries, Togolese authorities explained that the measure comes after FAO alerted about the tilapia lake virus which affects these fishes.
The ban in most other African nations is mainly on tilapia coming from Egypt, Israel, Thailand, Ecuador and Columbia. However, Togo opted for more caution by imposing a full ban.
Now, Lomé will improve its goods control, monitoring and surveillance which fall under the responsibility of the ministry of agriculture, fisheries and husbandry, as well as other services operating at borders. These services will cease and destroy all kinds of tilapia, wild or bred, and its derivatives. All those infringing the ban will be sued and sanctioned.
The ministries of Trade and Fisheries however emphasized that tilapia, fished or bred in Togolese waters, can be consumed without any risk.
Besides tilapia, all other fishery products and their derivatives can be imported in the country, provided that their origin can be proven and they have a certification from an official veterinary in the country of origin.
Fiacre E. Kakpo