20 Jul 2018

Officials from Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) have urged businesses to register their companies through the Online Business Registration System (OBRS) effective June 3.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement workshop in Kasane on March 25, CIPA assistant registrar, Mr Olerato Madiabaso said from June this year, both active and new companies as well as business names would be required to register online.

He explained that the re-registration would only be for companies that were active by June 3. Mr Madiabaso said the re-registration exercise period would run for 12 months, and that all existing companies that failed to re-register during the period would be removed from the register under the Companies Act.

He further said new companies would be expected to file annual returns in the month of registration in subsequent years, and that the filing season would run from February to November. He, however, said existing companies would be expected to file their annual returns during their usual time of filing.

Additionally, Mr Madiabaso said on the first day of the month that annual returns were due, the system would send sms and email directly to the company director and secretary and another one on the 20^th of the month as reminders to file.

He said while the fees for registration had not yet been finalised, the good thing was that companies would not be expected to pay annual returns for the year of registration, and that those that had outstanding annual returns and registered within 12 months effective June 3 would be exempted from filing the outstanding returns.

Earlier, CIPA awareness and communications manager, Ms Marrietta Magashula said the system was brought about as a way of making business easier in the country, and that it was benchmarked from New Zealand which was ranked among the best countries in doing business worldwide. Ms Magashula said with OBRS there would be no need to certify company documents at CIPA offices, and that it would reduce costs for customers in areas where there were no offices such as Kasane.

She said institutions such as banks, council and government departments would be able to go online and verify information such as company directors, amongst others, when dealing with a specific company.

She said the system would further reduce reliance on paper records, adding that CIPA offices had a lot of filed papers which was time consuming when assisting customers.

The other advantage of the system, she said, was that it would increase transparency and integrity as information at CIPA was sometimes not consistent with that of companies as some changed directors but failed to update CIPA.

Ms Magashula said the system would further allow online payments such as bank debit and credit cards and orange money to relief clients the burden of going to CIPA offices for this service. She said through OBRS, submissions of applications could be done for 24 hours as opposed to the current arrangement whereby submissions could only be done during office hours.

Ms Magashula said the system would be integrated with the Omang system for verification processes, and that foreigners would be required to upload scanned copies of their documents. She encouraged stakeholders to utilise online registration in the comfort of their homes, offices and self-service kiosks, adding that walk-ins for those who did not have Internet access would be subjected to a fee. ENDS