Lesotho- MEC targets foreign businesses
Date
12/17/2019 10:46:44 PM
(MENAFN- The Post)
MASERU - MOVEMENT for Economic Change (MEC) deputy leader Tšepang Tšita-Mosena has tabled a motion in parliament seeking a clampdown of illegal foreign-owned businesses.
Tšita-Mosena asked the House to urge the government to reserve some businesses for indigenous Basotho and to protect such businesses for the benefit of Basotho.
She argued that there should be a law that prohibits naturalised Basotho to do businesses that belong to Basotho who are born in this country.
She said although the Ministry of Trade has a list of businesses that are meant for Basotho only, nowadays such businesses have been taken away from indigenous Basotho by naturalised Basotho who have financial muscle.
'They do not have that passion to improve the economy of this country,' Tšita-Mosena argued. 'And they do not seem to have bank accounts in Lesotho.'
Supporting the motion, Mabote MP, Fako Moshoeshoe, said such a move would pull Basotho out of poverty.
'We can make an example with the small businesses of Basotho which have been closed down because of the businesses of the foreigners,' Moshoeshoe said.
He said foreigners smuggled goods into Lesotho at night to avoid paying taxes.
The Minister of Trade, Halebonoe Setšabi, said Basotho might also be part of the problem.
Setšabi said Basotho take business licenses and cede them to foreigners.
'They are still causing this problem,' he said. 'Our business should be our business, we should not give it to the foreigners,' he said.
The Minister of Justice, Mokhele Moletsane, urged caution, noting that 'we have 90 000 Basotho living in other countries.
'So that is vice versa, if people come to our country then let's remember our sisters on the other side of the country,' Moletsane said.
He said although Basotho may complain about foreigners, they should bear in mind that expelling foreigners may result in more joblessness.
Thooe Ramolibeli
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