Government just launched call for proposals to finance innovative projects in agricultural sector. This falls under the Agriculture Support Project (PASA) which is part of the National Investment Programme for Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security (PNIASAN).

PASA will be sponsored by the productive subproject competitive fund (FCSPP) which is one of the financial tool, alongside subsidies and a guarantee fund, developed to boost producers’ results in the crop, animal and fishery sectors.

Projects that will be selected under the call for proposals would have to “prove innovative and able to boost output, sanitary and commercial quality, processing, and added-value of Togolese agricultural products. They must also be interesting and profitable for local SMEs and SMIs”.  

According to the document, eligible proposals would focus on diversification and processing of subsistence and export crops. Sub-projects selected will be financed over 12 months however subsidy will not exceed CFA3.5 million per project. 

Agriculture in 2017 contributed 38% of Togo’s GDP. It employs nearly 70% of the country’s active population.

Séna Akoda

Telephone, power and water utilities operators, as well as mass retail professionals (“big billers” as they are called in Togo) were allowed during a ministers’ council held on May 8, 2018, to release details of their consumers’ balance.

According to the related statement from government, this is to “enable big billers to provide information on balance of water, power and phone users in Togo”.

The measure should also help improve business environment, thus attract more foreign investment. “By adopting this decree, the position of our country in the Doing Business should improve, same goes for eligibility criteria for the Millenium Challenge Account (MCA),” the statement reads.

“All necessary precautions are taken to preserve safety and confidentiality of harvested data,” authorities add.

Séna Akoda

Togo’s ministry of transports and infrastructures, under 2018 State budget, will rehabilitate 67km of road in the Tchamba prefecture. This town is located 35km east of Sokodé, the capital of the central region.   

A call to tender was launched for the project. According to a credible source, projected works are divided into four lots:

• First lot concerns the Tchamba-Alibi, Dagma-Katakpani and Laréni-Akpoa segments which span a total 12.9 km.
• Second lot concerns 18.6km-long Alibi 1- Kountangoli-Agbawiliga road.
• Third lot will go from Agbawiliga to Hézoudè, via Kofordia. This axis extends over 17km.
• The fourth lot targets 18.1km-long Krikri-Afem Boussou axis.

Works include opening, filling, suppressing and proceeding to deep reshaping of some key zones along some rural roads.

Firms selected to carry out the project will have six months to deliver.

Séna Akoda

Results of Togo's fifth edition of macroeconomic forecast survey were released on May 9, 2018.

The study for which 200 private firms were used as sample reveals that banks greatly contributed to private sector’s investments in 2017. Indeed, this contribution soared from 24.5% in 2016 to 44.7% in 2017.

Meanwhile funding of investments on equity slumped, from 72.9% in 2016 to 51.6 in 2017. As for investments themselves, they contracted also by 18.6% over the period.

According to the survey which assessed the firms’ turnover, this value grew by 2%. However, this performance is lower than 2016’s, knowingly +3.3%.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

On May 8, Togo’s government, during a council of ministers, adopted a bill for code of cinema and motion picture.

The country wants thereby to build a true film and animation industry while focusing on the protection and valorization of local culture, and cinema particularly.

The movie industry that will arise from this new code should, according to authorities, prioritize local instead of foreign content as it “conveys mindsets and actions that have nothing in common with local culture but gradually substitutes it”. This gives rise to a serious cultural identity issue, the ministers’ council said.

The new code falls under government’s strategy to develop a favorable legal and economic framework for the growth of the movie industry in Togo. Indeed, the country wants to boost investment in this sector and subsequently create jobs across all its regions, “leveraging on qualitative and quantitative production of audiovisual and cinematographic content”.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Cina Lawson, Togo’s minister of posts and digital economy, just got approval to sign decrees to increase the duration and coverage area for 2G and 3G licenses awarded to Togocel and Moov. Thus, the licenses are valid till 2032.

Additionally, the minister was allowed to award the two operators 4G licenses, in line with digital strategy.

The measure aligns with the government’s objective to provide populations with high-speed 4G connectivity (with a penetration rate of 40% by 2022) and rapidly secure funds needed under its 2018 budget law.

This decision is a major milestone for Lomé which implements reforms to improve public finances, amid political tensions.

Fiacre E. kakpo

Togolese subsidiary of Vinci Sogea-Satom won a contract of more than CFA9 billion falling in line with a program that aims to tackle and prevent flooding. The latter was launched last April 24^th.

Under the new contract, the construction firm will conduct road development and rehabilitation in the Togblékopé district, which is in the Agoè prefecture, 5km from Lomé, the capital.

Concretely, works include draining structures such as gutters, water evacuation pipes, water collectors and retention basins. This project will also lead to construction of access roads, schools, market sheds, football fields, and coating.

The firm has 12 months to complete these works. Let it be recalled last month, Sogea-Saton landed a €72 million contract to design and build the main stadium of Yamoussoukro, in Côte d’Ivoire.

 Fiacre E. Kakpo

The West African Development Bank (BOAD) and ECOWAS’ Investment Bank (BIDC) will finance a project to build and asphalt a 30-km road along N°17 national route.

International call to tender states that BOAD will contribute 73% of the needed financing. Remaining part will be covered by BIDC.

Works will be conducted on Nali-Sali axis located in the Oti prefecture. They will fall under a more global project to build and asphalt the N°17 national route with goes from Katchamba (Dankpen prefecture) and Sadori (Oti), the document indicates.

The project would make traffic along the national axis more fluid.

Séna Akoda