23 Feb 2017

Doing Business Reforms Roadmap of December 2014 identified and approved 49 reforms, many of which require changes in the different legislation or Acts to facilitate their implementation.

Responding to the theme, ‘Progress on the Doing Business Reforms Implementation in Botswana,’ Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Biggie Butale said government has made progress in areas that required changes in the different legislation or Acts to facilitate their implementation.

The assistant minister said the majority of the reforms were on-going at different stages, most of which were legislative in nature and have taken more than the anticipated time.

Mr Butale said they were working to amend the Companies Act and the Companies Re-registration Act and also to amend the Registration of Business Names Act.

“I would like to emphasise that in order to move with pace in the implementation of the reforms, there is need for government and the legislator to prioritise the implementation of the e-Government initiative and doing business legislation,” he said.

He said government was currently exploring measures which might assist in accelerating implementation of the doing business reforms roadmap which include, amongst others, outsourcing the drafting of legislation and prioritising business related laws during parliamentary sessions.

“Some of the reforms undertaken include the separation of rates clearance from construction permitting processes since December 2015, he added.

The Assistant Minister said the Public Service Hall in Molepolole has been set up as a pilot project.

The Customs Management System has replaced the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) system, which paved way for the establishment of the Single Electronic Window.

Mr Butale further said the online application platform and issuance of tax clearance certificates were available, adding that electro filing and payment platforms for tax have been introduced.

The assistant minister said the E-Communications and Transactions Act and Regulations commenced on April 1 last year.

He said the Electronic Evidence Act commenced in May last year.

“There has also been development of the service standards and close monitoring of customs brokers by the Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS), he added.

Specially Elected Member of Parliament, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo had asked the minister to brief Parliament about progress on the doing business reforms implementation in Botswana.

Ms Kenewendo said Botswana’s performance in the doing business rankings had not improved, but dropped by one point last year.

She indicated that Botswana had been ranked above 150/190 in starting a business.

This, she said showed that procedures needed to start a business in Botswana were many and cumbersome and that the time was taxing.

“I think this is a big problem because this is where the birth of our Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises starts.

This is where the birth of a vibrant private sector starts and we need to be in line with international reforms and international standards looking at how other countries are performing when it comes to starting a business,” she said.

She said this was the main hiccup point, especially since these were experienced by young people aged under 30 years.

Ms Kenewendo however acknowledged that there were improvements in name registration.

She had asked the minister to brief Parliament on how far they have gone in ensuring that the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) took care of all the issues related to starting a business in Botswana. BOPA