Togo Committed to Improving Irrigation and Climate Resilience

Agriculture

Monday, 16 September 2024 17:23

Togo Committed to Improving Irrigation and Climate Resilience

(Togo First) - On September 12, 2024, irrigation and agricultural stakeholders in Togo gathered for the 39th day of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS). The event, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, focused on "Efficient and Sustainable Irrigated Systems for Resilient Agriculture, Contributing to Food Security and Economic Growth." It provided an opportunity for agricultural players to review progress in irrigation and propose recommendations to enhance resilience against climate change.

Agriculture is crucial in Togo, employing 70% of the workforce and contributing 23.5% to the GDP. Of the 3.6 million hectares of arable land, about 45% is currently cultivated, while 15% is forested. Togo has 536,800 hectares of irrigable land.

Recent achievements in irrigation include developing 2,538 hectares of lowlands for rice and vegetable production, constructing 277 boreholes, and distributing 3,500 subsidized solar irrigation kits. However, challenges persist, such as insufficient funding, high equipment costs, and a lack of infrastructure for water management.

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To address these issues, several recommendations were made. These include creating a department focused on village hydraulics, developing a national irrigation strategy, and training farmers in modern techniques. The goal is to enhance producers' capacities and ensure sustainable water resource management amid climate change challenges.

Established in 1973, CILSS consists of 13 member states, including Togo. The organization aims to ensure food security and combat climate change effects in the Sahel and West Africa.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.