CIPA Partners With Competition Authority

Pauline Dikuelo | Monday June 20, 2016 15:50

Through the MoU, both parties will enable discussions on matters of mutual interest and where necessary, shall promptly pool resources to economically serve the mandates of both parties.

Speaking during the MOU sgning, the Registrar General at CIPA, Conductor Masena said the MoU ushers in a new dawn of a close working relationship and smart partnership aimed at facilitating businesses and sampling the doing business environment in Botswana.

“The two organisations have a symbiotic relationship which if properly nurtured can assist Botswana to attain its economic development aspirations and sustainably drive the economic development agenda for the benefit of Batswana,” he said. He added that CA has requested companies to provide copies of their registration documents, retrieved from the Register of Companies at CIPA, so as to ascertain the legitimacy of their registration and to ensure that proper shareholding information is provided prior to the merger of acquisition.

“There is greater opportunity still for integration and linking of our database for information sharing. This MoU will allow us to explore in the near future and will go a long way in ensuring accuracy of data provided by businesses and enhancing data integrity,” he added. CIPA has in the past taken an administrative decision to request companies applying for amalgamations to attach a merger or acquisition approval letter from the CA. According to Masena, from this rudimentary process, they realised that it is possible for some of the amalgamations to be carried through without any input from the CA adding that this formal relationships will help smoothen the process and enable better communication with each other.

In addition, the Registrar General said both organisations will create significant activities, which will target individuals and the business community in their quest to set up business, create employment for citizens and improve the global competitiveness of the country whilst intensifying revenue generation for the government.

On her part, CA Acting CEO Tebelelo Pule said the MoU will help them to hasten their investigations, as now they will be having a direct office to get information about companies unlike in the past where it used to take long. “It is important that we have this direct relationship with CIPA. It will help us to hasten our investigations as now we will be having a direct office to get information unlike in the past,” she said.