Practice 02 of 06
Trade & Investment Facilitation
Entering a market in the Horn of Africa is rarely blocked by strategy. It is slowed by registration, licensing, permits, and the particular sequence in which local authorities expect things done. This practice handles that sequence, and keeps you compliant once you are trading.
- The outcome
- A legally established, compliant operation — in months rather than false starts.
- Often engaged in
- Agribusiness · Trade & industry · Financial services · Public institutions
- First step
- A scoping conversation, at no charge
The situations that bring clients here
- You have decided to enter the market and need the entity established correctly.
- Licensing or permit requirements are unclear, and the advice you have is contradictory.
- Foreign executives need work permits before operations can start.
- You are already operating and statutory filings have fallen behind.
What we provide
The work, in detail.
Capability names and descriptions are taken from the HASI Company Profile 2026. This is the service we sell, not a marketing gloss of it.
01
Entering the market
From first enquiry to an entity that legally exists.
- Market entry & investment advisory
- Investment facilitation and market-entry advisory for business expansion and cross-border investment — including what the operating environment will actually require of you before you commit.
- Business incorporation & company registration
- Company registration handled end to end for local and international investors, with the statutory process managed by a team that deals with these authorities routinely.
02
Getting licensed
The approvals that let you trade.
- Business licensing & regulatory compliance
- Adherence to applicable laws and industry regulations from the first day of operation, rather than corrected afterwards.
- Business permits & government liaison
- Coordination with the relevant government authorities and regulatory agencies to obtain the permits and approvals an operating business depends on.
- Immigration & work permit support
- Visas, work permits and supporting documentation for foreign investors, executives and skilled professionals joining the venture.
03
Staying compliant
Obligations that continue for as long as you operate.
- Corporate legal advisory
- Commercial contracts, shareholder agreements and corporate governance documents prepared and reviewed by advisers familiar with the local legal environment.
- Corporate secretarial services
- Statutory filings, compliance monitoring and corporate record management, handled on an ongoing basis so management can concentrate on the business.
How the work runs
The method, and what you keep.
Steps on the left, artefacts on the right. Deliverables are agreed in the written proposal before anything starts.
Scope and route
Establish what you intend to do, where, and which entry route and entity type fits.
Incorporate
Company registration handled end to end for local or international shareholders.
Licence
Sector licensing and regulatory compliance arranged before trading begins.
Permits and people
Government liaison for operating permits; immigration and work permits for the team.
Maintain
Statutory filings, compliance monitoring and corporate records, ongoing.
Typical deliverables
- Market-entry assessment and recommended entry route
- Registered legal entity with certificates and constitutional documents
- Sector licences and operating permits
- Work permits and immigration documentation for named staff
- Reviewed commercial contracts, shareholder and governance documents
- Statutory filing calendar and maintained corporate records
Where this practice is most engaged
- Agribusiness & foodAgriculture, livestock, poultry and food processing
- Trade, manufacturing & industryImporters, distributors, manufacturers and industrial operations
- Financial servicesBanks, Islamic finance institutions, mobile money and investors
- Government & public institutionsMinistries, agencies, regulators and state bodies
Also in this section
Questions
Asked before engaging us.
Which jurisdictions do you cover?
Our offices operate in Somaliland (Hargeisa), Somalia (Mogadishu) and the Somali Region of Ethiopia (Jigjiga). Confirm your target jurisdiction with us at first contact so we can be precise about what applies there.
Is this legal representation?
We provide corporate legal advisory — preparing and reviewing commercial contracts, shareholder agreements and governance documents — and we liaise with authorities on your behalf. Where a matter requires representation by a locally licensed advocate, we will say so and work alongside licensed counsel.
How long does establishment take?
It depends on jurisdiction, sector and how complete your documentation is. We will give you a realistic sequence and the dependencies that sit outside our control at the point of scoping. We do not promise regulatory outcomes.
Can you help after we are established?
Yes. Corporate secretarial services cover statutory filings, compliance monitoring and record management on a continuing basis.
Trade & Investment
A legally established, compliant operation — in months rather than false starts.
Tell us where your organization is against that outcome, and we will say plainly whether this practice is the right place to start, and what the first step would cost.
Or write to hasiconsulting@hasiconsulting.com.