2010年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Lesotho_Country_Profile_2009_15页_1mb

Lesotho Country Profile 2009 Summary

Core Content

The Lesotho Country Profile 2009 is part of the World Bank Group's Enterprise Surveys, which assess the business environment and firm performance across various sectors. The surveys focus on small, medium, and large firms in the non-agricultural formal private economy, providing insights into the challenges firms face in terms of infrastructure, trade, regulations, taxes, corruption, crime, and financial services. The data is benchmarked against the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region and the Lower Middle Income group.

Main Topics Covered

• Business Environment Obstacles: Key challenges that hinder firm performance.
• Average Firm Characteristics: Information on firm age, ownership, and gender participation.
• Infrastructure: Assessment of electricity, water, and telephone services.
• Trade: Indicators on export and import activities, customs delays, and transport losses.
• Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing: Evaluation of the time and cost involved in obtaining licenses and permits.
• Corruption: Measurement of bribes and informal payments in various business contexts.
• Crime and Informality: Impact of crime on firm operations and the prevalence of informal economic activities.
• Finance: Sources of financing and access to financial services.
• Innovation and Workforce: Use of technology, financial practices, and employment structures.

Key Findings

Corruption Indicators

• Incidence of Graft Index: 7.4% of firms in Lesotho reported being asked or expected to pay a bribe when applying for public services, which is significantly lower than the regional average of 34.0%.
• Gifts to Tax Inspectors: 9.2% of firms expected to give gifts during meetings with tax inspectors.
• Gifts to Secure Government Contract: 26.4% of firms expected to give gifts to secure a government contract, which is above the regional average of 34.0%.
• Gifts to Get a Construction Permit: 26.0% of firms expected to give gifts to obtain a construction permit.
• Gifts to Get an Import License: Only 1.7% of firms expected to give gifts to secure an import license, which is below the regional average of 10.7%.
• Gifts to Get an Operating License: 3.3% of firms expected to give gifts for an operating license.

Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Days to Obtain Import License: 4.0 days, which is faster than the regional average of 19.2 days.
• Days to Obtain Construction-related Permit: 79.9 days, which is much higher than the regional average of 52.6 days.
• Days to Obtain Operating License: 16.4 days, slightly faster than the regional average of 23.9 days.
• Senior Management Time Spent on Government Regulation: 5.6% of senior management time is spent on government regulation requirements.
• Average Number of Visits with Tax Officials: 1.8 visits per year.
• Legal Forms of Ownership:
  • Sole Proprietorship: 44.4% of firms.
  • Closed Shareholding Company: 13.6%.
  • Open Shareholding Company: 3.0%.
  • Partnership: 18.3%.
  • Limited Partnership: 15.6%.
  • Other: 4.9%.

Average Firm Indicators

• Age of the Average Firm: 14.2 years.
• Female Top Manager Participation: 21.6%.
• Female Ownership Participation: 18.4%.
• Private Domestic Ownership: 68.2%.
• Private Foreign Ownership: 25.4%.
• Government/State Ownership: 1.2%.

Finance Indicators

• Internal Finance for Investment: 50.9% of firms use internal funds.
• Bank Finance for Investment: 23.3% of firms use bank financing.
• Trade Credit for Investment: 9.1% of firms.
• Equity, Sale of Stock for Investment: 6.6%.
• Other Financing: 10.1%.
• External Working Capital Financing: 40.5%.
• Collateral Required for Loans: 66.9% of the loan amount.
• Firms with Bank Loans/Line of Credit: 32.2%.
• Firms with Checking or Savings Accounts: 89.7%.

Infrastructure Indicators

• Power Outages per Month: 6.8.
• Value Lost Due to Power Outages (% of Sales): 6.7%.
• Water Shortages per Month: 2.5.
• Average Water Shortage Duration (hours): 6.1.
• Delay in Obtaining Electrical Connection: 13.9 days.
• Delay in Obtaining Water Connection: 23.1 days.
• Delay in Obtaining Mainline Telephone Connection: 53.7 days.

Trade Indicators

• Exporter Firms: 12.5% of firms export directly or indirectly.
• Use of Foreign Inputs/Supplies: 61.5% of firms use foreign material inputs or supplies.
• Average Time to Clear Direct Exports Through Customs: 5.4 days.
• Average Time to Clear Imports from Customs: 4.4 days.
• Losses During Direct Export Due to Theft: 0.9%.
• Losses During Direct Export Due to Breakage or Spoilage: 0.6%.

Crime and Informality Indicators

• Firms Believing the Court System is Fair, Impartial, and Uncorrupted: 33.2%.
• Security Costs (% of Sales): 4.2%.
• Losses Due to Theft, Robbery, Vandalism, and Arson (% of Sales): 2.9%.
• Formal Registration Upon Start-Up: 86.8% of firms are formally registered when starting operations.

Innovation and Workforce Indicators

• Internationally Recognized Quality Certification: 24.7% of firms.
• Annual Financial Statement Reviewed by External Auditor: 66.0%.
• Use of Own Website: 22.1%.
• Use of Email for Communication: 44.3%.
• Average Number of Temporary Workers: 11.8.
• Average Number of Permanent, Full-Time Workers: 42.4.
• % of Full-Time Female Workers: 38.4%.

Conclusion

The Enterprise Surveys highlight the challenges faced by firms in Lesotho, particularly in areas such as corruption, regulatory burdens, and infrastructure inefficiencies. While some indicators, like the time to obtain import licenses, are relatively efficient, others, such as construction-related permits, are significantly delayed. Informal economic activities are also prevalent, with a high percentage of firms operating without formal registration. However, access to financial services is relatively high, with a majority of firms having checking or savings accounts. Innovation and technology use are limited, suggesting potential for improvement in these areas to enhance firm competitiveness and productivity.