Effective January 1, 2022, new Togolese parents will be able to get their children’s birth certificates for free. The news was confirmed by the Togolese Council of Ministers.
“The council examined a (last) bill establishing the free issue of birth certificates in Togo,” a report from the council reads. This measure, the document adds, “aims to ensure the systematic registration of births in civil status centers all over the country and to improve citizens’ social protection.”
President Faure Gnassingbé mooted the idea in February 2020. Gnassingbé had declared: “I would like to tell parents that henceforth, they can get birth certificates for their children freely. To tackle the issue of identification, we will, starting this year, initiate a program that will make sure every Togolese gets an ID number that will play the same role as ID cards.”
Also, the government believes that the bill should boost social inclusion and harmony, in line with the first pillar of its development roadmap.
