2010年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Togo_Country_Profile_2009_15页_1mb

Togo Country Profile 2009 Summary

Core Content Overview

The Togo Country Profile 2009 is part of the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its partner IFC (International Finance Corporation). These surveys aim to evaluate the business environment and its impact on firm productivity, performance, and growth. The data collected is used to inform policymakers and researchers about the challenges and opportunities in the private sector of Togo and other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, particularly those in the low-income group.

Main Topics Covered

The document covers the following key areas of the business environment:

• Business Environment Obstacles
• Average Firm Characteristics
• Infrastructure
• Trade
• Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing
• Corruption
• Crime and Informality
• Finance
• Innovation and Workforce

Each section provides a detailed analysis of the challenges faced by firms in Togo, comparing them to regional and income group averages.

Key Findings and Insights

Business Environment Obstacles

• A poor business environment increases obstacles for firms and reduces their potential for growth in employment, production, and welfare.
• The survey identifies the top 10 constraints and top 3 constraints for large, medium, and small firms in Togo.

Average Firm

• The average firm in Togo is 10.1 years old, with a higher proportion of sole proprietorships (71.6%) compared to other legal forms.
• Female participation in management and ownership is notable, with 15.1% of firms having female top managers and 31.8% having female participation in ownership.
• Ownership composition shows that 85.9% of firms are privately domestic, while 11.0% are privately foreign, and 1.0% are government/state-owned.

Infrastructure

• Electricity is a major concern, with 11.1 power outages per month and 10.5% of sales lost due to these outages.
• Water shortages occur 5.2 times per month, with an average duration of 8.5 hours.
• Delays in obtaining electricity, water, and telephone connections are significant, affecting operational efficiency and increasing costs.

Trade

• 24.6% of firms in Togo are exporters, with 64.8% of manufacturing firms using foreign material inputs.
• Customs clearance takes 6.7 days for exports and 9.0 days for imports, with 3.4% of export value lost due to theft and 0.3% due to breakage or spoilage.

Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Regulations and licensing processes are inefficient, with 34.2 days needed to obtain an import license and 61.6 days for construction permits.
• Senior management spends 2.7% of their time dealing with government regulatory requirements, which is lower than the regional average of 5.4%.
• Tax inspections average 1.2 meetings per firm, which is below the regional average of 2.8.

Corruption

• Corruption is a major issue, with 15.0% of firms reporting corruption in the Graft Index, which is the proportion of times firms were expected or asked to pay informal payments for public services.
• 16.4% of firms are expected to give gifts during meetings with tax inspectors, while 25.7% are expected to give gifts to secure an import license.

Crime and Informality

• 14.0% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security costs account for 1.5% of sales, with 2.4% of sales lost due to theft, robbery, etc.
• 75.8% of firms are formally registered upon starting operations, indicating a significant informal sector.

Finance

• Internal finance is the primary source for investment, with 76.2% of firms relying on it.
• Bank finance accounts for 14.5%, and trade credit for 6.1% of investment.
• 21.6% of firms have bank loans or lines of credit, and 94.2% have checking or savings accounts.
• Collateral requirements are high, with 237.6% of the loan amount needed on average.

Innovation and Workforce

• Only 6.6% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• 39.4% of firms have their financial statements reviewed by an external auditor.
• 12.1% of firms use their own websites, and 67.6% use email for communication with clients and suppliers.
• Average number of temporary workers is 5.4, and permanent, full-time workers is 14.1.
• 25.0% of full-time workers are female, which is slightly higher than the regional average.

Conclusion

The Togo Country Profile 2009 highlights the challenges faced by firms in the non-agricultural formal private sector, particularly in corruption, infrastructure deficiencies, trade inefficiencies, and regulatory burdens. The average firm is relatively small and predominantly a sole proprietorship, with limited access to formal financing and low levels of innovation. These findings suggest that improving the business environment through better governance, infrastructure, and legal frameworks could enhance firm productivity, investment, and economic growth in Togo.