EU to support 2020-2025 government roadmap

Economic governance

Monday, 17 May 2021 16:20

EU to support 2020-2025 government roadmap

(Togo First) - The EU delegation in Togo plans to financially back projects and programs under the government’s 2020-2025 roadmap.

Joaquín Tasso Vilallonga, EU ambassador to Togo, in an interview with Focus Infos, declared: “the financial instrument (formerly European Fund for Development) will be replaced with a new budget instrument and a plan for the coming years that will integrate the strategic priorities of our cooperation. As for future cooperation, it will logically be coherent with Togolese priorities as defined by the government in the 2020-2025 roadmap.”

These new financial instruments, according to the European diplomat, will be jointly designed with the embassies of France and Germany to maximize the coherence and impact of the overall cooperation with the EU.

The announcement was made some weeks after a new economic partnership agreement was signed between the African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) countries and the EU. The latter defined common values, principles, and goals of signees.

It should be emphasized that since the resumption of the EU-Togo cooperation in 2006, after nearly 13 years, the EU has been regularly supporting Togo in various areas: political, economic, and social.

In December 2020, to help the country tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU announced it would provide budget support of €48 million (around CFA31 billion). Meanwhile, in agriculture, the Union, together with Germany, co-financed the PRACOFAT, a project aimed at making Togo’s pineapple sector more competitive; They invested CFA30 million in this project.

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.