Government to reinforce controls after a surge in Covid-19 cases

Health

Thursday, 25 March 2021 16:18

Government to reinforce controls after a surge in Covid-19 cases

(Togo First) - The government of Togo has issued new measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic in a context where the country faces a surge in cases (over 700 in the past week).

In the council of ministers held on March 25, 2021, Lomé decided to reinforce the Covid-19 Monitoring Mixed Taskforce, adding at least 1000 members of the security and defense forces to the group.

Also, the authorities deemed it urgent to speed up the vaccination campaign across the Grand Lomé region. They also stressed preventive measures such as the ban on mass gatherings (sports events, burials, weddings, cultural events). Regarding burials especially, the council of ministers recalled that only up to 15 people are allowed to regroup for the occasions.

In the same vein, gatherings at places such the Bonké Place, Tiens Casablanca, the LONATO’s agencies, and the Limousine roundabout (Avedji) are also not to be frequented.

According to the government, controls at borders and entryways giving access to markets will be reinforced. Meanwhile, access to the beach is still banned.

As for places identified as vectors for the disease, knowingly bars, and places of worship, they will be subject to strict controls regarding the respect of barrier measures.

The government is also looking at imposing a new curfew in the coming days, depending on how things progress. It warns in the meantime against misinformation on social media and networks, saying those behind the practice are punishable by law.

Séna Akoda

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 .

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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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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)

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