Togo inaugurates its first integrated industrial platform

Transport

Monday, 07 June 2021 16:01

Togo inaugurates its first integrated industrial platform

(Togo First) - On Sunday, June 6th, Faure Gnassingbé, the Togolese President, inaugurated the country’s first industrial platform, PIA. The ceremony took place less than a year after construction work started.

Developed over nearly 400 hectares, in Adetikopé (15 km north of Lomé), the platform materializes a new development vision: “to produce more locally, and be more competitive in international markets.” The project comes as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is in the pipeline; it was carried out by Arise IIP (under a partnership based on Gabon’s Nkok model).

51168 pia inauguration ii

According to its promoters, the PIA aims to create high added value chains (especially in the textile sector), supply raw materials, manufacture on-site, and export finished products. The site includes an industrial zone, a park that can accommodate 12,500 containers, a storage platform for cotton and other agricultural commodities, a truck terminal, and an area of 200,000 m2 dedicated to other logistics activities.

It also has its waste treatment plant, a police station, a firefighter casern, and a single administrative desk, regrouping all services and agencies (immigration, customs, business registration, among others). The latter makes it easier for businesses and investors to handle some paperwork.

Big ambitions

Gagan Gupta, chief of Arise IIP, unveiled major ambitions regarding the project: no longer export a single gram of raw cotton by 2023, produce tens of millions of units of towels, beds, and clothing within a few years via a domestic textile unit.

According to his projections, Togo’s exports should, in value, jump “from $75 million to about $1 billion, a 12-fold increase.” This would be “a first in such a short time on the continent,” adds Gagan Gupta.

Production, of soybeans, wood, marble, or electric engines, should also grow, indicated the investor. For the project, he mobilized nearly 130 billion CFA.

The PIA is expected to create 35,000 direct jobs in the next 4 years and millions (direct and indirect) by 2030.

Commenting on the project, the Prime Minister, Victoire Dogbé, said “it is a decisive turning point for the industrialization of the country.”

Octave Bruce

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.