Frederic HEGBE
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Johnny YOUNG (since September 1994)
embassy: Rue Pelletier Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome
mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome
telephone: [228] 21 77 17, 21 29 91 through 21 29 94
FAX: [228] 21 79 52

Flag: five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom)
alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red
square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African
colors of Ethiopia

@Togo:Economy

Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture,
which accounts for about half of GDP and provides employment for 80%
of the labor force. Primary agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee,
and cotton, which together generate about 30% of total export
earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests
are normal. In the industrial sector phosphate mining is by far the
most important activity, although it has suffered from the collapse of
world phosphate prices and increased foreign competition. Togo serves
as a regional commercial and trade center. The government's
decade-long IMF and World Bank supported effort to implement economic
reform measures to encourage foreign investment and bring revenues in
line with expenditures has stalled. Political unrest, including
private and public sector strikes throughout 1992 and 1993, has
jeopardized the reform program, shrunk the tax base, and disrupted
vital economic activity. Although strikes had ended in 1994, political
unrest and lack of funds prevented the government from taking
advantage of the 50% currency devaluation of January 1994. Resumption
of World Bank and IMF flows will depend on implementation of several
controversial moves toward privatization and on downsizing the
military, on which the regime depends to stay in power.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1993
est.)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $800 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $284 million
expenditures: $407 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1991 est.)

Exports: $221 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: phosphates, cotton, cocoa, coffee
partners: E