Lesotho Standards and Quality Assurance Department (LSQAS)
The Standards and Quality Assurance Department of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing (LSQAS) has been the National Standards Body for Lesotho and an ISO subscriber member since 1 January 2000 and is the focal point for Standards and Quality issues. The legal framework to provide for establishment of standards, certification and related issues is still in the pipeline. No national standards have been developed to date and currently, the department is primarily concerned with awareness creation and promotional work.
Industries in Lesotho have traditionally relied on the South African Bureau of Standards for voluntary standards facilities and quality and assurance schemes. Lesotho exporters have developed their standards according to the technical quality requirements of importing countries and international standards. Lesotho participates in a regional program on Standardization, Quality, Accreditation and Metrology for SADC. The program aims to harmonize standards across all member states.
Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health has the mandate to lead and regulate all health matter in Lesotho. The MOH liaises with all international organisations on matter relating to health on behalf of the government of Lesotho. The ministry has a mission to provide an efficient and compassionate health care and social welfare system, with particular emphasis on the prevention and eradication of priority health and social welfare problems that are amenable to cost-effective interventions. There is need to implement a selective package of health and social welfare interventions that will bring maximum benefit to health and social welfare objectives, and strategies leading to the realisation of the vision viz. Health for all by the Year 2000.
Lesotho Communications Authority
The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) is a statutory body, established in June 2000, with the mandate of regulating the communications sector in Lesotho. This mandate entails: granting licences to all communications operators; promoting fair competition; approving tariffs; managing the radio frequency spectrum; empowering and protecting consumers; type-approving terminal equipment and other related responsibilities.
Department of Environment
The DoE is the executive arm of the National Environment Council and the principal agency responsible for managing the environment and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. It falls under the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture. While the DoE is the sole legislated reviewer of EIAs, the Director of the DoE may delegate any of his/her functions to a line ministry, a Technical Advisory Committee (assembled for specific project reviews) or any public officer.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is responsible for the control of the importation and exportation of agricultural products to/from Lesotho. When importing or exporting goods, foodstuffs or agricultural products you may be required to obtain the relevant permit and/or Sanitary/Phytosanitary certificates from the following departments.
Ministry of Small Business Development, Cooperatives and Marketing
The mandate of the Ministry is to create and maintain a more equitable and enabling environment for industrial, agri-business and commercial development, through formulating and monitoring the implementation of appropriate commercial, marketing and industrial development policies and enforcing supporting legislation. Establishing institutional frameworks which promote foreign direct investment in terms of the country's commercial, marketing and industrial activities as well as fostering the global competitiveness of Lesotho' economy based on comparative advantage. (a) Through the One Stop Business Facilitation Center (OBFC), the Ministry participates in the export and import business facilitating the clearance of extra SACU exports and the issuance of import permits on some goods originating outside the SACU region. (b) Through the Department of Marketing the Ministry is responsible for issuance of import permits relating to some agricultural commodities, for protection of national markets against the international competitors.
Department of Traffic and Transport
Through its department of Traffic and Transport, the Ministry is a stakeholder in the import and export business, whereby the department issues permit for Southern African Regional Police Chief Co-Operation (SARPCCO) Clearance, deregistration of motor vehicles aimed for export to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.
For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.
