Togo to emulate Gabon’s experience to advance the Adetikopé industrial platform project

Investments

Tuesday, 26 January 2021 14:54

Togo to emulate Gabon’s experience to advance the Adetikopé industrial platform project

(Togo First) - To run the Adétikopé industrial platform (PIA), Togo will learn from Gabon’s experience in this area.

Over the past two weeks, Idiola Sandah, general manager of the platform was in Gabon for a professional immersion visit at the administrative authority overseeing the Nkok privileged economic zone (ZERP). This is an industrial site located around 30 km east of Libreville.

During his stay, the Togolese official met with his counterpart, Anne Nkene Biyo’o, and her collaborators, to discuss operations at the ZERP’s 23 administrations and its single window. Sandah took the opportunity to learn about the ZERP’s processes and missions.

Idiola Sandah also discussed with executives of the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ), which is the Zerp’s logistics partner. The GSEZ is a joint-venture established by the Gabonese government and Olam. The latter handles the PIA in Togo through Arise IIP, its arm in charge of integrated industrial infrastructure.

“Gabon’s success model inspires many countries, including Togo which wants to adopt this model to attract investors,'' Sandah said at the end of his trip. “There will be sustainable cooperation between the ZERP’s administrative authority and that in charge of Adétikopé’s industrial platform,” he concluded.

Klétus Situ (intern)

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)

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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.