Promoting the competitiveness of the private sector in Togo

Context

The global health, security and socio-political crises are having an impact on the economy and the employment of young people in Togo. Togo’s private sector has huge potential for creating jobs and prosperity, which makes it an important driver of the country’s economic growth. However, it is unable to fully leverage this potential due to structural difficulties. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural and food sector especially, challenges related to the supply chains, financing, general economic conditions and the entrepreneurial ecosystem are disadvantages that are restricting their competitiveness.

Objective

The competitiveness of the Togolese private sector has improved.

Approach

The project is improving the SME ecosystem by promoting public and private structures that advise and support SMEs. To this end, the project is working in five fields of action:

• Improving supply chains: It provides support to SMEs and their supplier networks to improve their supply chains and boost the implementation of contract farming.
• Creating access to financial services: It strengthens support structures for financing SMEs and provides access to financial services.
• Facilitating access to international markets: It develops services aimed at giving SMEs greater visibility and long-term access to international markets.
• Promoting sustainable investment: It supports the development of the national investment promotion agency (API-ZF) and the economic networking of Togolese micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with major foreign companies.
• Improving legal and administrative frameworks: The government’s reform efforts need to take the interests of the Togolese private sector into greater account. To this end, the project supports the development of a national format of public-private dialogue, thereby contributing to improving the business and investment climate.

Last update: May 2023