Lomé, 9 October 2026 — The Alliance is supporting Togo in digitalising its plant import permit process, replacing paper-based steps with a more streamlined digital system. The reform aims to make it faster and simpler for businesses to obtain the permits they need, while helping government authorities manage applications more efficiently.
Today, businesses importing plants and plant products must obtain an import permit that sets out the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements they need to meet. The process can involve paperwork, administrative steps and trips to government offices — all of which can add time and cost to cross-border trade.
The new digital system aims to change that. Once operational, it will help the Directorate of Agricultural Production (DPA) process applications more efficiently, while giving businesses a simpler way to submit and track their requests.
The reform is expected to:
- Cut processing times for import permit applications;
- Reduce costs and unnecessary trips for businesses;
- Make the process more transparent and traceable; and
- Strengthen phytosanitary controls to help protect Togo’s agricultural sector.
But digitalising the permit is only part of the story. The project is also bringing government authorities and businesses together to look at how the process works today and how it could work better tomorrow.
Together with the DPA and other public and private-sector stakeholders, the project will map the existing process, identify bottlenecks and design a digital solution around the needs of the people who use and manage the system every day.
The launch ceremony in Lomé brought together representatives from the Government of Togo, the private sector, GIZ, key donors like the European Union, the German Government and the Alliance. The event was presided over by the Director of Cabinet Mr. Dindiogue KONLANI, representing the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Resources and Food Sovereignty, and attended by Mr. Niccolò MARACCHI, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union, representing the EU as funder of this project along with the German Cooperation.
For the DPA, the project is an opportunity to make day-to-day processes more efficient and give officials better tools to manage applications.
“Building on the experience gained through the implementation of the Alliance’s first ePhyto project in Togo, we will work to implement the ePermit system as swiftly as possible, helping to reduce processing times and costs for Togolese importers.” Said Kossi Djifa HOUNKALI, Director of Agricultural Production at Togo’s Ministry of Agriculture.
For businesses, the ambition is equally straightforward: less paperwork, fewer unnecessary trips and a more predictable process for getting goods across the border.
“Rain doesn’t wait for permits.” Said K. Mawuko Christopher DEGBOEVI, Director at ANTEOR SAS “In a rain-fed agricultural economy like Togo’s, delays at the border can have serious consequences for farmers and businesses. A predictable, efficient import system is essential to ensuring timely access to seeds and agricultural inputs, boosting productivity and strengthening competitiveness.”
The project is the second Alliance-supported digitalisation initiative in Togo, building on the country’s broader efforts to modernise trade processes and make trade faster, more transparent and more efficient. Implemented by the Alliance through GIZ, the project is supported financially by the European Union and the German Government.
