How much did Togo dedicate to military expenditures in 2020?

Security

Friday, 30 April 2021 17:24

How much did Togo dedicate to military expenditures in 2020?

(Togo First) - Togo spent the equivalent of $116 million (about CFA63 billion) - 2% of its GDP - on military expenditures in 2020. This is according to a ranking by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published on April 26. The ranking is dominated by North African countries, with Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt leading. In the sub-Saharan region, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya invested the most in their military.

According to SIPRI, quoted by the Ecofin Agency, military expenditures cover “weapon purchases, military pensions and spending on paramilitaries.”

Togo is ranked 31st in this index, ahead of countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Niger, in a region where the jihadist threat keeps looming.

Although the budget allocated to defense and security remains low according to specialized organizations, the country very recently adopted a law on military programming, supported by a vast investment program. Between 2021 and 2025, the country plans to inject CFAF 700 billion into its army to adapt to new security contingencies.

2020 Ranking of African countries by military expenditures (SIPRI)

Ranking	Country	Amount (in US dollars)	Percentage of GDP
1	Algeria	$9.7 billion	6.7%
2	Morocco	$4.8 billion	4.3%
3	Egypt	$4.5 billion	1.2%
4	South Africa	$3.1 billion	1.1%
5	Nigeria	$2.5 billion	0.6%
6	Tunisia	$1.15 billion	2.9%
7	Kenya	$1.1 billion	1.1%
8	Angola	$994 million	1.6%
9	Uganda	$985 million	2.6%
10	Sudan	$934 million	1.1%
11	Tanzania	$659 million	1%
12	Côte d’Ivoire	$607 million	1.3%
13	Mali	$593 million	3.3%
14	Botswana	$546 million	3.5%
15	Ethiopia	$461 million	0.5%
16	Senegal	$393 million	1.6%
17	Cameroon	$393 million	1%
18	Burkina Faso	$382 million	2.7%
19	Namibia	$374 million	3.3%
20	DRC	$362 million	0.7%
21	Chad	$323 million	3.1%
22	Congo	$298 million	3.4%
23	Gabon	$271 million	1.8%
24	Ghana	$240 million	0.4%
25	Niger	$240 million	2.4%
26	Zambia	$212 million	1.2%
27	Guinea	$210 million	2.6%
28	Mauritania	$200 million	2.5%
29	Mozambique	$154 million	1.1%
30	Rwanda	$143 million	1.4%
31	Togo	$116 million	2%
32	Somalia	$98 million	…
33	Malawi	$92.5 million	1.1%
34	Madagascar	$87.4 million	0.7%
35	e-Swatini	$75.1 million	1.8%
36	Benin	$71.8 million	0.5%
37	Burundi	$67.5 million	2.0%
38	Central African Republic	$41.3 million	1.9%
39	Lesotho	$38 million	1.6%
40	Sierra-Leone	$23.8 million	0.6%
41	Guinea Bissau	$23 million	1.7%
42	Seychelles	$18.8 million	1.6%
43	Mauritius	$18.1 million	0.2%
44	Liberia	$16.9 million	1.3%
45	Gambia	$14.8 million	0.8%
46	Cape Verde	$11.3 million	0.6%

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.