Togo: Lomé to Host First Children's Book Fair from October 17-19

Culture

Monday, 30 September 2024 18:10

Togo: Lomé to Host First Children's Book Fair from October 17-19

(Togo First) - Lomé will host its first Children's Book Fair, the Salon du Livre Jeunesse (SALIJEL), from October 17-19, 2024. Organized by the "Lire au Togo" association and the Ministry of Culture, the event aims to attract over 5,000 fans of children's literature, including authors, publishers, and book professionals from across Africa.

"Books are not just pages to be turned; they are worlds to be explored," said Kokou Dzokotoe, president of the association and general delegate of the fair. The event will highlight young African readers and raise awareness among parents about the importance of reading for education and development.

The program includes book signings, exhibitions, workshops for children, roundtable discussions, and professional training. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with authors, illustrators, and booksellers at various stands filled with children's books. Creative activities and interactive workshops are also planned.

A business management training course is scheduled just before the fair (October 14-16). The course targets booksellers and aims to professionalize the sector. It will cover topics like bookshop management and collaborations with publishers.

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)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

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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.