Launch of the Botswana One Stop Service Centre
26 Oct 2017
Botswana has established the Botswana One Stop Service Centre (BOSSC). Officially launched in October 2017, the BOSSC is an investment facilitation centre within the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) which houses relevant government agencies as a single cohesive structure that provide prompt, efficient and transparent services to investors. BOSSC has made available shortened and simple administrative procedures and guidelines for issuance of business approvals, permits and licenses, thereby removing bottlenecks faced by investors in establishing and running businesses in Botswana.
BOSSC services provided to investors include company and business registration, trade and industrial license applications, entry visas, work and residence permits, work permit exemptions, connection of utilities e.g. power, telecommunications and water, income tax and vat registration, access to industrial and commercial land, allocation of BITC factory space (subject to availability), environmental impact assessment, compliance provision of information on the Botswana business climate, regulatory regime and investment opportunities, opening a bank account, provide specialist business advisory services.
For the purposes of BOSSC, "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 profit.
BOSSC facilitates projects that demonstrate the following in order to be eligible to receive services; number and quality/level of employment created; potential for skills and technology transfer; utilization of local raw materials in the production process; potential for export and import substitution; potential to create backward and forward linkages; innovation and creativity; priority sector under the economic diversification drive.
It gives priority for investment in the following sectors: agriculture & agro-processing; mining & mineral beneficiation; manufacturing; financial and business services; business process outsourcing innovation and information communication technology (ICT); transport, cargo and logistics; hospitality & tourism; education & skills development; qualifying projects sponsored by government economic hubs; and qualifying projects of strategic national importance.
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Type:
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Promotion and facilitation (Investment facilitation )
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