Togo Parliament adopts 2026 budget in historic bicameral vote
Togo reached a major institutional milestone on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, as the nation’s finance bill was examined and adopted by both parliamentary chambers for the first time in its history. The Senate voted to confirm the 2026 budget of 2,751.5 billion CFA francs, a figure previously approved by the National Assembly.
This balanced budget represents a significant increase. It exceeds the government’s initial proposal of 2,740.5 billion by nearly 11 billion and marks a 12.93% rise compared to the 2025 amended budget of 2,436 billion.
The Senate stated this increase reflects “the public authorities’ will to support economic growth and macroeconomic stability,” adding that the finance law aims to “place people at the heart of national priorities” and “consolidate social gains for more inclusive and sustainable development.”
The vote carries strong symbolic and political weight, marking a new step in the functioning of the Fifth Republic. Senate President Barry Moussa Barqué hailed it as a “decisive moment in Togo’s institutional evolution,” enabling national priorities to be set “within a consolidated budgetary framework.” This complete bicameral process strengthens the country’s democratic landscape.
From the executive side, Finance and Budget Minister Georges Essowè Barcola stated the vote gives the government “the means to effectively implement its public policy.”
He presented the finance law as “a decisive instrument of the democratic pact,” designed to “foster the construction of a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy.”
This budgetary tool will fund key projects and programs for the coming year. Its adoption by both chambers, beyond the figures, entrenches a new parliamentary practice and grants reinforced legitimacy to the government’s economic and social roadmap for 2026.
Chantal TAWELESSI
