Starting a Business

In the 2020 Doing Business rankings, Togo proudly stands at fifteenth globally and first in Africa in the Starting a Business index. This achievement underscores the country’s ongoing commitment to improving its business landscape through continual reforms.

Enforcing Contracts

Once one of the lowest-rankers in the Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo has made remarkable strides. The country has seen significant improvements thanks to a robust reform agenda, boosting its standing in enforcing contracts.

Contract Execution

To streamline contract execution, Togo has introduced special chambers of commerce for small debts. Key advancements include:

• Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal
• Distinct clerks for civil and commercial cases
• Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara
• Access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform for lawyers and bailiffs
• Set a maximum period of 100 days to resolve commercial disputes

Trading Across Borders

Togo has made considerable progress in its ranking under the Trading across Borders indicator. Recent reforms focus on digitization and reducing delays, making import and export procedures more efficient.

Construction Permits

Togo has improved its position in the construction permit index, moving from 133rd to 127th place in the 2020 rankings. This upward trend is expected to continue with ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing the construction sector. More about this can be found at construction permits.

Getting Electricity

The past two years have seen a consistent rise in Togo’s ranking in the Getting Electricity indicator. Ongoing reforms aim to facilitate better access to power and water resources for businesses.

Registering a Property

Togo has significantly improved in the property registration sector since 2018. The government is focused on adopting extensive reforms to surpass Rwanda’s performance in Africa on this metric.

Public Procurement

Togo’s public procurement framework is undergoing significant modernization through professionalization, digitization, and legislative reforms. These efforts are aimed at benefiting the private sector in alignment with the National Development Plan. More details can be found at public procurement.

Paying Taxes and Duties

In a bid to enhance its business environment, Togo has undertaken reforms to simplify the payment of taxes and duties by replacing and canceling certain taxes and offering exemptions. The goal is to create an attractive tax framework for investors through digitization.