LIBERIA
Reported in 2023
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Preferential Procurement Policies for Domestic MSMEs
It is reported that contracting entities are required to set aside 25% of public procurement for those MSMEs with a minimum 51% Liberian ownership, and the primary signatories of their bank accounts must be Liberians. Within this 25%, 5 percentage points in value terms is reserved for women-owned MSMEs. However, according to the authorities this has not been applied in practice.
Coverage Horizontal
LIBERIA
N/A
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Signatory of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) with coverage of the most relevant services sectors (CPC 752, 754, 84)
Lack of participation in the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
Liberia is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) nor does it have observer status.
Coverage Horizontal
LIBERIA
Since May 2010
Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade |
Indicator Maximum foreign equity share
Investment Act of 2010
There are no foreign ownership limitations in sectors relevant for digital trade.
Coverage Horizontal
LESOTHO
Since September 2020
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Restrictions on online payments
Mobile money limits
Lesotho has established several limits on transactions that can be carried out with mobile money. Yet, in September 2020, the Central Bank of Lesotho informed that it had given authorisation to mobile money issuers to increase transaction limits for duly identified and verified mobile money customers. The Bank increased transaction limits to LSL17,500 (approx. USD 1,100) daily limit and LSL 30,000 (approx. USD 1,900) monthly limit for full KYC clients. For partial KYC clients, the transaction limits are LSL 10,000 (approx. USD 600) daily limit and LSL 20,000 (approx. USD 1,300) monthly limit. Customers are categorised into partial KYC and full KYC depending on the amount of information available to mobile money service providers.
Coverage Mobile money payments
LESOTHO
Reported in 2021, last reported in 2023
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Restrictions on online payments
Bank transaction limits
It is reported that electronic funds transfers are limited to USD 10,000 per transaction for transfers to local bank accounts, while for external bank accounts, the limit is USD 50 million.
Coverage Horizontal
LESOTHO
Reported in 2021, last reported in 2023
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Threshold for ‘De Minimis’ rule
Low de minimis threshold
It is reported that the de minimis threshold, that is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is USD 15 (Intra-Southern African Customs Union) and USD 35 (Extra-Southern African Customs Union), below the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231220024306/https://global-express.org/index.php?id=271&act=101&profile_id=-1&countries%5B%5D=-2&search_terms=&question-filter=&qid_34=1&qid_34_optid=1&qid_35=1&qid_36=1...
- https://web.archive.org/web/20230227012953/https://global-express.org/assets/files/GEA%20De%20Minimis%20Country%20information_4%20November%202021.pdf
LESOTHO
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Framework for consumer protection applicable to online commerce
Lack of comprehensive consumer protection law applicable to online commerce
Lesotho does not have a legal framework that applies consumer protection to online transactions.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://unctad.org/page/cyberlaw-tracker-country-detail?country=ls
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220411055917/https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/projects/ITU_EC_ACP/hipssa/events/2013/Lesotho/Lesotho_E-transactions%20Bill%202nd%20DRAFT%20clean.docx
- https://web.archive.org/web/20241113165146/https://tradecca.thecommonwealth.org/document/lesotho-electronic-transactions-and-electronic-commerce-bill
- Show more...
LESOTHO
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator Ratification of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Lack of signature of the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts
Lesotho has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.
Coverage Horizontal
LESOTHO
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Lack of adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Lesotho has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.
Coverage Horizontal
LESOTHO
N/A
Pillar Online sales and transactions |
Indicator UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
Lack of adoption of UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures
Lesotho has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.
Coverage Horizontal
LESOTHO
Reported in 2023
Pillar Technical standards applied to ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Self-certification for product safety
Self-certification allowed
Type approval procedures are regulated by the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA). It is reported that the conformity requirements are similar to those of the European Union (Declaration of conformity according to EU directive 2014/53/EU). The homologation process in Lesotho does not require local laboratory testing or contact with local representatives.
Coverage Horizontal
LESOTHO
N/A
Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition |
Indicator Functional/accounting separation for operators with significant market power
Lack of mandatory functional separation for dominant network operators
It is reported that Lesotho does not mandate functional separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market. However, there is an obligation of accounting separation.
Coverage Telecommunications sector
LESOTHO
N/A
Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition |
Indicator Signature of the WTO Telecom Reference Paper
Lack of appendment of WTO Telecom Reference Paper to schedule of commitments
Lesotho has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.
Coverage Telecommunications sector
LESOTHO
Since June 2000
Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition |
Indicator Presence of an independent telecom authority
Lesotho Telecommunications Authority Act 2000
According to the Lesotho Telecommunications Act, the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA), the executive authority for the supervision and administration of services in the telecommunications sector, is independent from the government in the decision-making process.
Coverage Telecommunications sector
LESOTHO
Since February 2012
Pillar Cross-border data policies |
Indicator Conditional flow regime
Data Protection Act, 2011 - Act No. 5 of 2012
Section 52 of the Data Protection Act of 2012 provides that the transfer of personal information abroad is permitted when the laws of the destination country are substantially similar to the information protection principles in Lesotho or when other conditions are met, including the data subject consent to the transfer, the use of binding corporate rules, or the necessity of the transfer for the performance of a contract between the data subject and data controller.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231128100314/https://www.nic.ls/lsnic/community/policies/Data_Protection_Act_2011_Lesotho.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220308101341/https://dataprotection.africa/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Lesotho-Factsheet-updated-20200331.pdf
- https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/index.html?t=transfer&c=LS
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