Togo announces a new program to fight terrorism and make populations more resilient to security threats

Security

Monday, 27 November 2023 17:16

Togo announces a new program to fight terrorism and make populations more resilient to security threats

(Togo First) - Togo will soon launch a new program to support people facing terrorism and security challenges. According to a decree issued last Thursday toward its implementation, the program is called the "Emergency Program to Strengthen Community Resilience and Security". The decree was issued during the Council of Ministers.

"The Emergency Program to Strengthen Community Resilience and Security aims to implement all actions to bolster populations’ resilience on all levels. [It] covers the whole country and specifically areas affected or threatened by acts of terrorism and violent extremism identified on the basis of threat levels,” reads the Council's report.

The program will provide social support to grassroots populations facing "grave threats", "terrorist attacks”, and "the increase in cross-border crime", in the north and Savanes regions especially. It is expected to build on existing initiatives, such as the Programme d'urgence pour la Région des Savanes (PURS). The latter recently secured CFA30 billion in funding from the Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD).

The PURS produced promising results, including better access to water and rural electricity. In detail, the program helped extend access to drinking water to almost 80,000 new people, thus raising the rural coverage rate from 64% in 2021 to 73.5%. In the energy sector, with an average electricity access rate of 66%, rural electrification has also increased, with 15,000 additional households connected to electricity, raising the rate from 22% in 2021 to 27% in 2022. Finally, in the agricultural sector, the government claims to have developed over 1,000 hectares of lowlands, and distributed over 21,000 tonnes of food fertilizer, as well as supplying irrigation kits and building boreholes.

It should be emphasized that Togo’s Savanes region currently is in a state of security emergency, due to its exposure to terrorist attacks.

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.