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Togo's Council of Ministers on 22 October adopted a bill replacing the free industrial zone regime, created in 1989, with special economic zones that offer time-limited, conditional tax breaks varying by location. The same meeting approved a 2027 budget of 2,684 billion CFA francs (about $4.9 billion), 2.5% smaller than this year's, and revised the 2026 deficit to 3.4% of gross domestic product after fuel prices rose. The government said the old regime had concentrated investment around Lomé and had weak links with the national economy. Investors lose open-ended tax holidays, while Togolese suppliers and regions outside the capital stand to gain from local-content rules and location-based incentives.
