Tlohelang (Peter) Aumane

1. Emerging Economies:
Trends, Risks, Challenges
and Potential Solutions - Lesotho
CRF Conference 2013
Auckland New Zealand
Tlohelang Aumane
Director (also Registrar of companies)
One Stop Business Facilitation Center

2. Outline
• Who we are
• Trends
• Risks
• Challenges
• Solutions
• Potential solutions

3. Lesotho
• Population: 2 Million, Capital: 270 000
• Area: 30 355 sq. km
• UN Classification: Least Developed Country
• WB Classification: Lower Middle Income
• GDP Growth: 5.7%
• Currency: Maloti pegged at par with ZAR
• Major Economic drivers: Mining, textile and
clothing, water, agriculture, wool and mohair

4. The One-Stop Business Facilitation Centre
Where we are with the OBFC

5. OBFC Mandate
The mandate of the OBFC is to bring together
and deliver a streamlined and integrated suite
of business services for enterprises and
investors. In this way the OBFC contributes in
the investment climate, the ease of doing
business, and the facilitation of increased
trade and investment in Lesotho
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6. OBFC Mission
To support increased trade and investment in
Lesotho through providing efficient and
friendly business services to its customers and
advocating for a more business friendly
regulatory environment in Lesotho
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7. The functions
• Company registration
• Tax registration
• Trade licensing
• Industrial licensing
• Export visas
• Import rebates
• Work permits
• Residence permits
• International Trade Administration

8. Priorities for 2013
• OBFC legislation
• OBFC Roll out
• Compliance and Enforcement Unit
– Training and Education
– Complaints
– Inspections
• Re registration
• Enhancement of Company Registry System
• Communicate with clients (Implement FAMOS Check
recommendations)

9. WB-DB– Starting a Business
Ranking Procedures
Procedures Time TimeCostCost Paid in Min
Paid in Min
Capital
Capital
Lesotho 79 7 24 13.0 0.0
South 53 5 19 0.3 0.0
Africa Zealand 1
New 1 0.4 0.0
Botswana
Sub Africa 99 8 10 37 61 81.2 1.6 0.0
129.8
Swaziland
OECD 1655 12 13 56 14.1 24.1 0.4
14.1

10. Challenges
• Resistance to regulatory reforms
• Delays in gazetting regulatory reforms
• Lack of understanding of the rationale and
importance of the OSS among stakeholders
• Insufficient IT infrustructure and high
communication costs
• Funding

11. Challenges continued
• Political support
• Fragmented delivery of services by individual
ministries from separate locations
• Focus on control and compliance in the design
of processes
• Governance is weak
• Inward focus by government ministries

12. Potential solutions
• Identify quick wins
• Involved and supportive political champion/s
• Dedicated and secure budget
• Culture of customer service and business
facilitation
• An outward, client oriented orientation
• Regular structured engagements with clients
• The use of efficient, streamlined and automated
business processes and information technology

13. Potential Solutions
• Effective governance arrangements and
institutional capacity
– Human and financial resources
– Internal systems
– Business Processes
– Infrastructure
• Harmonise member states domestic laws and
policies in the regions
• Improve stakeholder participation
• Effective one stop shops

14. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
www.obfc.org.ls
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