The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) implemented sweeping changes to the national tax architecture, enacting modernised Value Added Tax rules and digital tax infrastructure mandates effective 1 July 2026. Anchored by a newly introduced unified Tax Administration Act, these reforms systematically digitalise cross-border transactions, overhaul compliance procedural rules, and expand the domestic indirect tax base. […]
The World Bank Group has approved a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Benin, with an International Development Association (IDA) allocation of US$1.077 billion over the next decade, complemented by financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The framework is designed to support private-sector development, infrastructure, employment, human capital, […]
Coutts, the NatWest-owned private bank reputed to have the British monarch as its client, has raised its minimum client threshold from the previous £1 million to £3 million (€3.44 million, $4.05 million) in available assets (investments or cash savings). This shift reflects its strategy to focus on serving high-net-worth individuals. In effect from April 2026, […]
The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has introduced a regulatory change allowing nationals of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) living abroad to open CFA-franc accounts with banks within the Union under conditions aligned with those applicable to residents. The measure, set out in Notice No. 001-03-2026, also maintains existing foreign-exchange, […]
The Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) in Botswana extended the mandatory compliance timeline for registered companies to update their corporate constitutions. Running from 16 March 2026 through 30 September 2026, this directive gives local subsidiaries, external companies, and foreign parent groups operating in the jurisdiction additional time to bring their internal governance structures into […]
As mentioned in the previous parts of our series, Trusts serve as an essential tool for asset protection, tax efficiency and long-term legacy succession planning. Trusts are generally classified as either Revocable (can be changed by the Settlor) or Irrevocable (cannot be easily changed). A Revocable (or “Living”) Trust allows the Settlor to maintain control, […]
If the Trust Deed is the skeleton of the trust legal structure, the Letter of Wishes (LoW) is its heart, providing the intent and philosophy behind the Settlor’s decisions, acting as a personal guide for the Trustee. While the Trust Deed uses formal language to set the “rules of the trust,” a Letter of Wishes […]
The primary appeal of a trust is the asset protection and privacy it provides. Because assets held in a trust are no longer technically owned by the settlor, they are often shielded from personal creditors and lawsuits. Moreover, trusts generally bypass the probate process which is the public and often costly and slow court procedure […]
A trust is a fiduciary relationship built around three primary roles in which one party, the Settlor or Grantor, transfers legal title of assets -such as real estate, stocks, or cash- to a second party, the Trustee (individual or corporate) to hold and manage them for the benefit of a third party, the Beneficiary or […]
OHADA stands for Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires (Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa), was established in 1993 and consists currently of 17 member states, primarily in West and Central Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo […]
