Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LOME680
2008-12-10 17:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Lome
Cable title:  

GOT PROPOSES 2009 BUDGET

Tags:  ECON PGOV TO 
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R 101711Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8928
INFO AMEMBASSY ACCRA 
AMEMBASSY COTONOU 
AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 
AMEMBASSY PARIS
UNCLAS LOME 000680 


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV TO
SUBJECT: GOT PROPOSES 2009 BUDGET

UNCLAS LOME 000680


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV TO
SUBJECT: GOT PROPOSES 2009 BUDGET


1. Summary. The GOT Council of Ministers adopted a draft of
the 2009 budget bill during its weekly meeting on November 5.
The budget focuses on priority sectors recommended by the
country's interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, completed
in April. The proposed budget was sent to the National
Assembly for consideration on November 27, giving the
parliamentarians almost a month to study its provisions
before its mandatory December 31 completion. End Summary.


2. The 2009 budget is estimated at 302.9 billion CFA ($605
million) of receipts and 344.7 billion CFA ($689 million) in
expenditures, which equals a 41.8 billion CFA ($83 million)
deficit. The extra funding is to come from international
partners. The 2009 budget shows a 12% increase over last
year's proposal, which was for 307.62 billion CFA ($615
million).


3. The budget is meant to address poverty reduction goals by
targeting social sectors, the promotion of employment,
reinforcing the rule of law, assisting development actors and
clearing the national debt. The GOT has decided to recruit
new employees in the sectors of education, health, and other
fields within the civil service. Other measures are meant to
fight poverty, corruption, and fraud (although specific
measures have not been released). The GOT hopes to address
the infrastructure problems in the country, integrate more
teachers into the education system, set up a fund to combat
youth unemployment, reinforce security and the national tax
system, and reduce the tax burden on companies.


4. Comment. The GOT has shown itself to be more dedicated to
producing a transparent budget this year. In 2008, the
National Assembly was given the proposed budget just a few
days before the December 31 deadline, giving its members
almost no time to consider it. The government's
recommendations are in line with widely-publicized goals
concerning poverty reduction. As the members of the National
Assembly, specifically the opposition, continue to study the
GOT's plan, it will be interesting to see if there is any
give-and-take on certain provisions, or if the ruling Rally
of the Togolese People (RPT) decides to use its majority in
the parliament (50 seats vs. 31 for the two opposition
parties) to adopt the budget exactly as is. End Comment.


HAWKINS