Togo: Mali Guest of Honor of 19th International Fair of Lomé

Economic governance

Wednesday, 27 November 2024 17:34

Togo: Mali Guest of Honor of 19th International Fair of Lomé

(Togo First) - The 19th edition of the International Fair of Lomé (FIL) kicked off on November 22, 2024, for two weeks. This year, the fair which is dedicated to trade, innovation, and economic exchange is held at the Centre Togolais des Expositions et Foires (CETEF). Mali is the guest of honor for this edition.

Togolese Prime Minister Victoire Dogbé chaired the opening ceremony, with other government officials, economic operators, and visitors from diverse backgrounds.

Mali's presence at this trade event is significant. It is represented by a large delegation of economic operators eager to showcase the richness and diversity of their country's products. The Malian pavilion highlights handcrafted textiles, shea butter, artistic creations, and agricultural produce.

In his address, Massoudou Cissé, spokesman for Mali's economic operators at the fair, noted that Mali’s selection as a guest of honor reflects the Togolese authorities' commitment to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two nations while promoting economic opportunities.

This year, a highlight of the fair is the Mali Economic Day, which aims to provide a platform for discussions and opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs to forge partnerships with Togolese counterparts.

Alongside this one-day event, several conferences are scheduled to focus on themes such as the interconnectivity of African markets and capacity-building for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Kayi Mivedor-Sambiani, Togo's Minister of Trade, emphasized that the FIL presents a unique opportunity for economic operators to meet and exchange ideas. Organizers anticipate over 1,000 exhibitors and half a million visitors throughout the event.

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.