Harewelle News

PRSP project comes to an end

The DFID funded Poverty Reduction Strategy Priority Support Programme (PRSP) managed by Harewelle in Consortium with British Council, CARE Lesotho-South Africa and Khalapa Development Agency, has formally come to a close in January 2010.The programme, which started in 2005, was designed to deal with the problems of poor economic growth and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

The project’s aim was to improve the co-ordination and support between four inter-related components of the Lesotho economy; Job Creation, Food Security, HIV/AIDS treatment and care and the Justice sector.  This involved working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS).  The programme provides support at all levels from policy through to working directly with the stakeholders and the communities most impacted by poverty. It involved facilitating dialogue and activities that assist communities coping with challenge and change.

At a national level the programme has assisted with the development of the Government’s Food Security Policy and associated Action Plan and is involved with the identification of appropriate social protection approaches that can be pursued by MAFS in cooperation with other government departments and agencies.

One of the key aspects of the programme was assisting the Government of Lesotho in re-forming the regulatory and administrative systems associated with business licensing, issuing import permits and export documentation. Today these functions are housed within the One-stop Business Facilitation Centre (OBFC).
 

The attached case study Implementing Business Environment Reform has been produced to document process for introducing the OBFC, its achievements and also the lessons learnt.
 

Please note that the Case Study was not a deliverable under the Programme.