Togo: Zouréhatou Kassah-Traoré Takes Office as Governor of Grand-Lomé District

Politics

Friday, 08 November 2024 15:16

Togo: Zouréhatou Kassah-Traoré Takes Office as Governor of Grand-Lomé District

(Togo First) - Zouréhatou Kassah-Traoré, former minister of infrastructure and transport, was sworn in as Governor of the Autonomous District of Grand-Lomé (DAGL) on November 6, 2024. The ceremony, attended by numerous political and administrative figures, marked the official start of her tenure following her appointment by the Council of Ministers in August.

Minister Hodabalo outlined Kassah-Traoré's responsibilities, stating: "You are the head of the autonomous district, and you coordinate, under the authority of the sectoral ministers, the deconcentrated services of the district's civil administrations." He emphasized her role as "the representative of the State, of the central power" in the 425.6 km² territory.

The DAGL, established by law on June 26, 2009, encompasses 13 communes in southern Togo (Commune Agoe-Nyivé 1, Commune Agoe-Nyivé 2, Commune Agoe-Nyivé 3, Commune Agoe-Nyivé 4, Commune Agoe-Nyivé 5, Commune Agoe-Nyivé 6, Commune du Golfe 1, Commune du Golfe 2, Commune du Golfe 3, Commune du Golfe 4, Commune Golfe 5, Commune du Golfe 6, Commune du Golfe 7). The district also serves as the local authority representing Lomé as a whole.

With a population exceeding 2 million, the Autonomous District of Grand-Lomé is a significant demographic and economic hub. It accounts for 72% of national consumption according to available statistics.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

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.