Creeping promotion of economic crimes and fierce race for their prescription 25 billion for the non-existent e-government; 15.5 billion for Invisible Djarkpagan's PDRI-Mô

On the occasion of its 2nd anniversary of existence, the online confrere "The Gazette of Togo" organized Saturday, February 10 in Lomé a meeting of exchanges with actors of the world socio-political, economic and media. Several panels have furnished the meeting including that concerning the situation of the economy of Togo with the MP Ouro-Akpo Tchagnao.


 In his presentation, the deputy of the National Alliance for Change (ANC) put forward some specific examples of mismanagement that froze all assistance. It is recalled that on December 14, 2010, the Bretton Woods institutions admitted Togo into the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (PTTE). A decision instead of being a shame for the country, was rather celebrated with pomp by Faure Gnassingbe and his group.

With the HIPC initiative, Togo had benefited from an 80% reduction in its external debt. Togo's public debt rose from 1244 billion to 767 billion, or 46% of GDP. At the time, the World Bank's resident representative in Togo believed that Togo should seize the opportunity, through good public policy to change the structure of its economy and start the foundations of emergence no later than 2030.

Thus, a huge program was initiated around the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Employment Promotion (SCAPE), which at the time of the assessment, did not meet expectations. For the deputy of Tchaoudjo, all the funds collected here and there have been diverted or poorly managed through poorly or sometimes not implemented projects. He quotes revolting cases pell-mell.

-Agriculture with the Integrated Rural Development Project at the full of Mô (PDRI-MÔ) valued at 15.5 billion, launched since January 3, 2011 in Djarkpanga for the period from 2011 to 2016, this day nothing given. "More serious, the Minister of Agriculture, Colonel Ouro-Koura Agadazi obtained in 2015 a loan aid from the Indian government through Exingbank India without anyone to date know the ins and outs of these funds that the minister claims to have deposited in a non-signatory account at UTB, "
he said.

With regard to the National Fund for Inclusive Finance (FNFI), which benefits each year from a State subsidy of 5 billion and even more during electoral periods, all its funds are managed without any control and placed in private accounts. Ecobank, UTB, and others at the whim of the Minister of Development at the Base, Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé to believe the MP.

-E-government which had originally been announced for financing Exingbank China for 7 billion was valued at 25 billion on arrival without the project being operational. Minister of the Post and Digital Economy Cina Lawson did not give any details to the deputies.

-The constitution of the new terminal which cost more than the 75 billion expected since all rolling stock and many things have been replaced after one year of exercise due to defective quality. Similarly, according to the deputy, several routes such as the Alédjo bypass and the Lomé-Vogan-Anfoin road were doubly financed without convincing results, with the pre-financing program so much praised by the former Minister of State of the United Kingdom as the common denominator. Economy and Finance, Adji Otèth Ayassor.

"Today, all these pre-financing payments have left a very heavy slate which, thanks to an alchemy, has been cleared by loans secured by SUKUK-TOGO 2016, worth $ 154 billion from the IDB, and a extended credit facility program with the IMF for more than 300 billion. This is neither more nor less than a premium for impunity because to date, no one has been worried about malfeasance, while according to the case law, economic crimes are legally prescribed after a delay of 5 years. years if no jurisdiction has been
seized. We understand then why the petty minority is fighting for the mandate of their champion to go beyond 2020, prescribing time for all economic crimes
committed before 2015, "he said.

To the question of what should be done to improve the situation of the economy of Togo, the Ministry of Economy and Finance responding in its capacity as government commissioner, before the Finance Committee of the National Assembly has recognized that a rigorous program of sanitation of public financial management is needed. The question that must be asked is: what is the consolidation of public finances for a government riddled with looters of state resources?

It is important that civil society and MPs take their responsibility to stop the bleeding.