The Central Bank of Lesotho will host a Working Dinner on Thursday 21^st September 2006, at 1730 hours at the Lehakoe Recreation and Cultural Centre, to sensitise the local business community about a survey to be conducted on the Private Capital Flows. 

The Dinner is part of the efforts by the Central Bank of Lesotho to encourage local business entities, as well as individuals, especially those with significant foreign assets and liabilities, to provide the necessary information required by the former, in the survey to be conducted on Private Capital Flows, between October and November, 2006.  The statistics collected from this survey will be used as an important tool in understanding the nation’s relationship with the rest of the world and to monitor flows of capital between Lesotho and the rest of the world.  The exercise will improve data quality and availability and allow market participants in making realistic assessments of economic fundamentals, especially at this time in Lesotho when private sector activity is on the increase.  It is envisaged that the sensitisation dinner will underscore the importance of having reliable statistics in order to formulate reliable policies.  The occasion will further emphasise the importance of undertaking the survey so that the country can maintain comparability with other countries of the world, as well as to understand trade relations between Lesotho and the rest of the world.  As a means of ensuring stakeholder buy-in, invitees will be taken through the questionnaire that has been prepared as an instrument of this survey, to ensure that all potential respondents understand the questions contained therein.  It is envisaged that this will be an interactive process in which sensitive issues that relate, in the main, to the disclosure of sensitive information of by the stakeholders will be thrashed out.

The results of the survey will go a long way in assisting the country in making sound policy decisions on the basis of timely, reliable, and comprehensive balance of payments statistics.  Furthermore, availability of this data will assist in ensuring that the country meets all its international reporting standards, for international comparability purposes.  In its endeavour to conduct this survey, the Bank is working in collaboration with the Bureau of Statistics (BOS), and the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC).

Members of the press are accordingly invited to cover this event.  For further information, please contact Mr. Thato Mohasoa at 22314281 ext. 2139.

Chief, Public Relations - 2006 April, 05