A case study

1. CORPORATE REGISTER’S FORUM – 22 May 2018
One Stop Platform & Service Delivery – The Case of Botswana One Stop Service
Centre (BOSSC)

2. BITC @ A GLANCE
Established in April 2012 under the BITC Act 2011 through a merger between Botswana Export
Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) and Botswana International Financial Services (IFSC).
According to section 16 of the Act, BITC mandate summarizes as follows;
§ Investment and Trade Promotions
• Promotes investment (FDI, DI, Expansions)
• Provides investment facilitation services
• Export development & promotion
§ Competitive and attractive business environment
§ Brand Botswana Management
v Regional offices in South Africa, United Kingdom and India

3. BUILDING A COMPETITIVE & ATTRACTIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

4. EASE OF DOING BUSINESS
143
153 153
97
50
59
122 125 124
70 70
81
70 75 7781 81 7671
55
4751 51 50
128 132 133
56
64
79
72
71
81
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2016 (189) 2017 (190) 2018 (190)
Starting a Business Dealing with Construction Permits
Getting Electricity Registering Property
Getting Credit Protecting Investors
Paying Taxes Trading Across Borders
Enforcing Contracts Resolving Insolvency
Overall Ranking
• In the 2017 Ease of Doing Business Report,
Botswana ranks 81 in the 2018 Report,
• Trading across boarders, dealing with construction
permits and registering property are the best
preforming pillars
• Number 5 in Africa after Mauritius at 25, Rwanda at
41, Morocco at 69 and Kenya at 80.

5. EFFECTIVE INVESTOR FACILITATION AND AFTERCARE

6. Investor Facilitation Value Chain

7. Botswana One Stop Service
Centre (BOSSC)
• Officially launched in October 2017
• Brings relevant government ministries,
departments and other agencies under one roof
• Investors are provided with a single place to pick
up all documents and approvals that are statutorily
needed to set up a business in Botswana.
• To provide coordinated, streamlined, prompt,
transparent and efficient service to investors
• The facility also aims to remove impediments and
overcome bureaucracy faced by investors in
setting up and running business

8. KEY PRINCIPLES OF BOSSC
• The BOSSC is guided by the following principles:
C – Convenience
E – Efficiency
S – Simplicity
S – Speed
T – Transparency

9. Ensuring Investor Experience

10. BOSSC
Service Providers –
Under One Roof
• Department of Lands
• Department of Labour
• Department of Immigration
Service Providers – Ministries/Institutions
§ Companies & Intellectual Property Authority
§ Botswana Power Corporation
§ Water Utilities Corporation
§ Botswana Unified Revenue Services
§ Botswana Telecommunications Corporation
§ Directorate of Intelligence Services (DISS)
§ Local authorities/Councils/Towns
§ Department of Trade & Consumer Affairs
§ Department of Industrial Affairs
§ Department of Town & Country Planning

11. BITC Investor Value Added Services - BOSSC
§ Services provided through BOSSC
ü Company and business registration
ü Trade and business license applications
ü Entry visas, work and residence permits
ü Work permit exemptions
ü Utility connections
ü Income tax and VAT registration
ü Access to commercial and industrial land
ü Allocation of BITC factory space
ü EIA Compliance
ü Provision of information on investment climate, regulatory regime and
investment opportunities
ü Opening of bank accounts
ü Provide specialist business advisory service

12. BOSSC Service Standards
Products & Services Description Service Provider Turn around
time
1 Facilitation Accreditation process BITC,SPEDU,BDC, BIH 14 days
2 Visas Visa application
Resident permits/exemption
Ministry of Nationality (MNIGA) 5 days
3 Work permits Waivers
Work exemptions
Ministry of Employment (MELPSD) 14 days
4 Work permits Normal work & residence Ministry of Employment
Ministry of Immigration
21 days
5 Land Application for land Department of Lands/Land Boards ≥ 1 month
6 Environment EIA
EMP
Department of Environ. Affairs 6 months (9
months by law)
7 Registration Name reservations
Company incorporation
CIPA 1 day
8 Utilities Application for water, power,
phone connections
BPC/WUC/BTCL 14 days
9 Security Security clearance DISS 4 days
10 Tax Tax registration – all taxes BURS 1 day
11 Licenses Trade/Industrial license
Occupation Certificate
Councils, Dept. of Trade,
Department of Ind. Affairs
5 days

13. WHAT DOES BOSSC DO
• Substantially reduces the cost of doing business;
• Ensures FDI and Investor Tracking;
• Simplifies procedural steps;
• Shortens service delivery time without compromising policy
objectives of the various agencies (safety, security &
environmental concerns)
• Ensures Transparency
• Provides investment information and advice to investors
• Ensures close and professional working relationship among
government agencies to meet the needs of investors
• Triggers and fast tracks public sector reform which would
ultimately result in structurally more attractive business
environment

14. Who is eligible to receive BOSSC services
• Both new and existing investors; local & foreign
• Investors vetted/supported and accredited by BITC, BDC, CEDA, LEA,
SEZA, SPEDU
• For BOSSC purposes, an investor is defined as any lawful business/
enterprise established, acquired or expanded by a domestic or
foreign investor in accordance with the laws of the Republic of
Botswana, committing resources of economic value over a
reasonable period of time, in anticipation of a profit.

15. BOSSC eligibility – cont’d
• Projects should demonstrate the following;
ü Number and quality/level of employment created
ü Potential skills and technology transfer
ü Utilization of local raw materials
ü Potential for export & import substitution
ü Potential to create backward and forward linkages
ü Innovation and creativity
ü Priority sectors under EDD

16. COLLABORATION WITH CIPA
§ Entered into a service level
agreement/Memorandum of
Understanding;
§ Enjoys the services of a dedicated
BOSSC Liaison Officer
§ Provides-
- Company Registration Requirements;
- Assist with company registration.

17. COLLABORATION WITH CIPA

18. WAY FORWARD
• The Success of the One Stop Shop depends largely on the ability of
all the Ministries and agencies involved in investment facilitation to
comprehensively re-engineer and reform their individual
administrative processes in order to serve investors promptly,
efficiently and transparently;
• Looking at possibilities of automating and digitization;
• Continue to monitor our service offering.

19. www.bitc.co.bw
THANK YOU