Database

Browse Database

BURKINA FASO

Since February 2017

Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services  |  Sub-pillar Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Decree No. 2017-0049/PRES/PM/MINEFID on procedures for awarding, executing and settlement of public contracts and delegations of public service (Décret N° 2017-0049/PRES/PM/MINEFID portant procédures de passation, d'exécution et de règlement des marchés publics et des délégations de service public)
Arts. 111-112 of Decree No. 2017-0049/PRES/PM/MINEFID provide a margin of preference of 10% for local enterprises and enterprises established in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
Coverage Horizontal

BURKINA FASO

N/A

Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services  |  Sub-pillar Signatory of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
Lack of participation in the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
Burkina Faso is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) nor does it have observer status.
Coverage Horizontal

BURKINA FASO

N/A

Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods  |  Sub-pillar Participation in the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and 2015 expansion (ITA II)
Lack of participation in the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and in ITA Expansion Agreement (ITA II)
Burkina Faso is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA I) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).
Coverage ICT goods
"SELECT DISTINCT(post_id) FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'score' AND\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'country' AND meta_value = 'BF')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAND (\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.1') OR\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.2') OR\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.3')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t)"
[{"post_id":"51438"},{"post_id":"51439"},{"post_id":"51440"}]
"SELECT meta_value FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'impact' AND\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'country' AND meta_value = 'BF')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAND (\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.1') OR\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.2')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t)"
"SELECT meta_value FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'score' AND\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'country' AND meta_value = 'BF')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAND (\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id IN (SELECT post_id FROM prj_12_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'subchapter' AND meta_value = '1.3')\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t)"
ITA: [{"meta_value":"1.00"}]

BURKINA FASO

ITA signatory? I II

Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods  |  Sub-pillar Effective tariff rate to ICT goods (applied weighted average)
Effective tariff rate to ICT goods (applied weighted average)
10.24%
Coverage rate of zero-tariffs on ICT goods (%)
7.2%
Coverage: Digital goods

BOTSWANA

Since 2014

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Sub-pillar Adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Botswana has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.
Coverage Horizontal

BOTSWANA

Since 2014

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Sub-pillar Adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signature
UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
Botswana has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.
Coverage Horizontal

BOTSWANA

Since December 2018
Since May 2014

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Sub-pillar Framework for consumer protection applicable to online commerce
Consumer Protection Act

Electronic Communications and Transactions Act
The Consumer Protection Act and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act provide a comprehensive consumer protection framework that applies to online transactions. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act also provides for the facilitation and regulation of electronic communications and transactions. The Electronic Records and Evidence Act also recognizes the use of electronic signatures.
Coverage Horizontal

BOTSWANA

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Sub-pillar Ratification of the UN Convention of Electronic Communications
Lack of signature of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Botswana has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.
Coverage Horizontal

BOTSWANA

Since January 2019

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Sub-pillar Restrictions on online payments
Electronic Payments Services Regulations, 2019
According to Section 29 of the Electronic Payments Services Regulations, Licensees for Electronic Payment Systems are required to adhere to transaction limits set in Schedule 3 of the regulations. Operating limits for account based payment systems (e-money account, execution of card payment, credit transfers and direct debits) have a monthly aggregate transaction limit within the range of P20,000 (approx. USD 1,750) to P30,000 (approx. USD 2,600) for individual customers; P50,000 (approx. USD 4,350) for SMEs; and for retail agents the monthly aggregate transaction limit is P1,000,000 (approx. USD 87,000).
Coverage Electronic payment systems

BOTSWANA

N/A

Pillar Online sales and transactions  |  Sub-pillar Threshold for ‘De Minimis’ rule
Lack of de minimis threshold
Botswana does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.
Coverage Horizontal

BOTSWANA

Since March 2016, last amended in April 2022

Pillar Technical standards applied to ICT goods, products and online services  |  Sub-pillar Self-certification for product safety
Type Approval Guidelines 2022
According to Art. 5 of the Type Approval Guidelines 2022, Type Approval applies to anyone who imports, manufactures, uses, or supplies telecommunication or broadcasting equipment for use or sale in Botswana. The person who wants to use or sell this product must register the equipment with Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), prior to importing, unless the equipment concerned has already been registered in BROCA’s Type Approval Database. According to Art. 6, for registration, the application must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity (DoC) and a full set of test reports confirming compliance with declared conformity. In addition, according to Section 6.5, it is not necessary to submit any other documentation or a sample of the equipment unless requested to do so by BOCRA.
According to Art. 11 of the guidelines, the DoC is a document drawn up by the manufacturer or supplier (wherever located) on company letterhead or stationery and signed by them confirming that the product complies with the regulations and technical specifications that apply in Botswana or their equivalent. In addition, as specified in Art. 10, test results must be obtained from a laboratory that has been accredited by a body that is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement. Test results should be included with the application unless BOCRA specifically states in writing that test results are not required. The equipment must be tested for compliance with BROCA’s technical specifications (or equivalent) and should cover areas of Safety, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), and Technical Standards. Reference to such compliance must be included in the declaration of conformity submitted with the application.
Coverage Telecommunication and broadcasting equipment

BOTSWANA

Since 2008

Pillar Quantitative trade restrictions for ICT goods, products and online services  |  Sub-pillar Other import restrictions, including non-transparent/discriminatory import procedures
Standards (Import Inspection) Regulations, 2008
With the exception of goods originating in Malawi, import permits – issued by Department of International Trade, in the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry – are required for goods entering Botswana directly from outside the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU). Any public or private body whose product satisfies all the requirements of a Botswana product standard can apply to Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) for the product to be certified. Samples of the product are then tested to verify its conformance to the requirements of the product standard, and if the results are acceptable, the product can then obtain the BOBS certification mark.
Regulations 3 and 6 of the Standards (Import Inspection) provides that a compliance certificate should be obtained for all commodities or goods to be imported into Botswana. The imported commodities should either comply with the Bureau standards or international or foreign standards recognised by the Bureau for the compliance certificate to be issued.
Coverage Horizontal

BOTSWANA

Since November 2012

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Sub-pillar User identity requirement
Communications Regulatory Authority Act, 2012
According to Art. 6 of the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority Act, the Board of the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority shall make industry regulations for the better carrying out of its responsibilities under this Act including records, form and content for Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration to be kept by regulated suppliers. In addition, it is reported that Botswana imposes identity requirement for SIM registration. Anyone wanting to purchase a SIM card has to provide their national ID card, or a passport in case of foreigners, to activate a new prepaid SIM card.
Coverage Telecommunications sector

BOTSWANA

N/A

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Sub-pillar Safe harbor for intermediaries for copyright infringement
Lack of intermediary liability framework in place for copyright infringements
It is reported that a basic legal framework on intermediary liability for copyright infringement is absent in Botswana's law and jurisprudence. Despite Part VIII of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act protects information system service providers from any civil or criminal liability with respect to third-party material stored or transmitted on their platforms if they did not contribute to the material, according to Art. 39 of the Act, nothing in this act shall affect any liability of the service provider under the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act in respect of (the infringement of copyright in any work or other subject matter in which copyright subsists, or (ii) the unauthorized use of any performance, the protection period of which has not expired.
Coverage Internet intermediaries

BOTSWANA

Since May 2014

Pillar Intermediary liability  |  Sub-pillar Safe harbor for intermediaries for any activity other than copyright infringement
Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2014
In Botswana, the concept of intermediaries relates to information service providers. Part VIII of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act protects information system service providers from any civil or criminal liability with respect to third-party material stored or transmitted on their platforms if they did not contribute to the material. It is also expected that the information service providers should expeditiously remove or disable access to the infringing content upon receiving a take-down notice.
Coverage Internet intermediaries