2017年-世界发展银行全球_Economy_Profile_of_Lesotho_63页_1mb

Summary of Doing Business 2018: Lesotho

Core Content

The Doing Business 2018 report evaluates the regulatory environment for businesses in 190 economies, focusing on key areas such as starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. It also measures labor market regulation. The report provides objective, comparable data to encourage regulatory reforms and improve the business climate.

Key Indicators for Lesotho

Main Points

• Starting a Business: Lesotho requires 7 procedures, taking 29 days and costing 7.7% of income per capita for men, and the same for women. There is no paid-in minimum capital requirement.
• Construction Permits: Lesotho requires 10 procedures, taking 183 days and costing 12.4% of the warehouse value. The building quality control index is 5.0, indicating room for improvement.
• Getting Electricity: While not detailed in the provided text, this indicator measures the procedures, time, and cost for a business to connect to the electrical grid, as well as the reliability of electricity supply and transparency of tariffs.
• Registering Property: Measures the procedures, time, and cost to transfer property and the quality of the land administration system.
• Getting Credit: Evaluates movable collateral laws and credit information systems.
• Protecting Minority Investors: Focuses on minority shareholders’ rights in related-party transactions and corporate governance.
• Paying Taxes: Assesses the number of payments, time, and total tax rate for a firm to comply with all tax regulations, including post-filing processes.
• Trading Across Borders: Measures the time and cost to export goods of comparative advantage and import auto parts.
• Enforcing Contracts: Evaluates the time and cost to resolve a commercial dispute and the quality of judicial processes.
• Resolving Insolvency: Assesses the time, cost, outcome, and recovery rate for commercial insolvency, as well as the strength of the legal framework.
• Labor Market Regulation: Measures the flexibility of employment regulations and aspects of job quality.

Key Information on Business Regulation in Lesotho

• Starting a Business:

  • The process involves a company name search, business registration, sub-lease agreement registration, health inspection, operational license application, and workman's compensation filing.
  • Most procedures are done in person at the One-stop Business Facilitation Center (OBFC), though online options are available.
  • The time to complete the process is 29 days, with a cost of 7.7% of income per capita.
  • No minimum paid-in capital is required, which is a significant advantage compared to other economies.

• Dealing with Construction Permits:

  • The process includes an environmental impact study, planning and construction permit application, water and sewerage connections, and final inspections.
  • It takes 183 days and costs 12.4% of the warehouse value.
  • The building quality control index is 5.0, indicating that Lesotho's regulatory environment is not among the best globally.
  • The legal framework lacks strong liability and insurance regimes, and final inspections are not always conducted in practice.

Conclusion

Lesotho's business environment, as measured by the Doing Business 2018 report, is relatively burdensome for businesses, particularly in the areas of starting a business and dealing with construction permits. While the country has some efficient procedures, such as online registration and low minimum capital requirements, there are significant gaps in the quality and enforcement of regulations, especially regarding construction permits and liability mechanisms. These findings suggest that Lesotho has opportunities for reform to improve its ease of doing business and create more favorable conditions for domestic and foreign firms.