Experience Sharing Workshop on the Status of Business Start-up (Cotonou, 27 and 28 January 2016)
Further promoting the status of business start-up to foster the formalization of micro and small enterprises within the OHADA space.
The Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) and the Government of Benin, in collaboration with the World Bank Group and the International Organization of the Francophonie organized a regional workshop to share experiences on the implementation of the status of business start-up within the OHADA space in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on the 27th and 28th January 2016.
In addition to the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of OHADA National Committees representing the Ministries of Justice and Finance, the workshop also brought together officials of various national administrations involved in the operationalization of the status of business start-up, namely tax officials, heads of centres for company creation formalities, and Social security funds officials. The objective was to share experiences from the example of Benin, the first OHADA country to have implemented the status of business start-up, and to discuss ongoing initiatives in other Member Countries.
It is worthy of note that the status of business start-up was introduced by the Uniform Act of 15 December 2010 on general commercial law, with the aim to promote the migration of economic actors from the informal sector to the formal economy. The status of business start-up is based on the idea of simplicity and free declaration of activity within the sectors targeted. Any individual exercising a civil, commercial, craft or agricultural activity, with a turnover not exceeding, over two consecutive years, the eligibility thresholds may acquire this status. The formalization of micro and small companies aims to enhance legal security for economic actors and to give them access to banking, financial and social services so as to enable such businesses to grow, create more jobs and contribute substantially to wealth creation and poverty reduction.
The workshop, opened by H.E. Lionel ZINSOU, Prime Minister of the Republic of Benin and under the chairmanship of H.E. Tertius ZONGO, former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, allowed participants not only to share experiences, but also to exchange with researchers. The testimony of business start-ups who have completed the formalization process of their enterprises coupled with a field visit at the One-Stop Shop for the creation of companies and at the Accredited Management Centre of Cotonou enriched the workshop.
Expressing satisfaction at the end of the workshop, Professor Dorothé C. SOSSA, Permanent Secretary of OHADA, urged the delegates from Member States to make the most of the works in order to stimulate, in their respective States, the operationalization of the status of business start-up. He pointed out that the effective implementation of this status must become a pillar of public policies considering that the informal sector represents between 75 and 90% of the economic fabric of OHADA Member States.
The works ended on January 28, 2016 on a note of satisfaction of participants, organizers as well as Technical and Financial Partners present, who seized the opportunity to reaffirm their full support for the actions of OHADA.