President Gnassigbé officially begins his new term

Politics

Monday, 04 May 2020 15:26

President Gnassigbé officially begins his new term

(Togo First) - Yesterday, May 3, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, officially started his new five-year term as head of Togo. The leader was sworn in in the presence of various officials and important figures.

“I, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, elected President of the Republic, following the Laws of the Republic, solemnly swear to respect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Togo, to loyally fulfill the high functions that the Nation has entrusted to me,” said the leader who was re-elected last February 22.

Gnassingbé, it should be emphasized, begins his new term amid a health crisis spurred by the Coronavirus pandemic. To date, more than 120 cases have been reported (with the first case reported on March 6, 2020).

It is in this context that President Gnassingbé has decided to put his new mandate under the theme of consolidation. The chief of State intends to consolidate all achievements of his government over recent years. In effect, the priorities of the new five-year term include:

Preserving peace and safety, in a regional context characterized by a volatile and threatened security
Putting in place more open and inclusive governance, which will improve accountability and allow citizens to keep track of decisions taken by the government
Creating wealth by speeding up the growth of high-potential sectors, in line with the National Development Plan (2018-2022 PND)
Improving access to basic social services, for the poorest especially, working to achieve universal access to power, water, and boosting sanitation;
Getting citizens closer to public administrations and facilitating their access to related processes, with digital technologies (no more fee to pay to get birth certificates, operationalization of biometric ID system, quality education, and health for all, etc.).

Octave A. Bruce

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.