Water Access: Togo secures over €230 million worth of commitments at recent roundtable

Economic governance

Wednesday, 07 December 2022 02:52

Water Access: Togo secures over €230 million worth of commitments at recent roundtable

(Togo First) - During the roundtable held in Lomé on December 1 and 2, some financial institutions and international organizations promised to provide Togo with over €230 million (about CFA157 billion) to improve access to clean water across the territory.

Precisely, the World Bank promised $100 million for various water projects, the Banque Ouest africaine de développement (BOAD) promised $80 million, and the European Union said it would provide a financing guarantee of up to €21 million.

There is also the French Development Agency (AFD), which committed to spending €50 million to support Togo’s 2021-2023 Strategy for Access to Drinking Water (AEP). After the roundtable, the Togolese government signed with the agency a €10 million financing agreement. The financing, a grant, will help implement the Project to improve living conditions in schools and rural areas for the people of Savanes and Kara.

According to Bolidja Tiem, the Togolese minister of water, all the funds promised will help tackle issues faced by some local communities.

"Financing the water and sanitation sector also means financing inclusion, social cohesion, and the fight against violent extremism. Making water available to our populations means ensuring the development of a certain number of fundamental sectors such as industry, agriculture, livestock, the environment and fishing. Making water available to our people means promoting health by fighting against various waterborne diseases," said Tiem.

Let it be recalled that the government of Togo aims to make sure that the whole country has access to clean water by 2030.

Esaïe Edoh

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.