Togo launches free-zone reform to attract more industries beyond Lomé

Togo’s government adopted a bill on October 22 to reform special economic zones and spread industrial investment beyond Greater Lomé. The proposal would make tax incentives time-limited and dependent on project location, while strengthening requirements for local content, training and skilled jobs. Since the free-zone regime began in 1989, 141 companies have been approved, with 91 still operating and employing nearly 19,000 people, but links with local suppliers remain weak. Parliament must still examine the bill as Togo seeks to expand manufacturing, particularly in agribusiness and textiles, across the regions.