It will now take you just a day to register a company following the government’s move to automate registration of companies.
The
initiative by the State Law Office is part of a wider plan by the
government to improve the ease of doing business, aimed at improving
service delivery and attracting investors to the country.
“Kenya’s
ranking in the Ease of Doing Business Index in the recent past has not
been encouraging to many of us that are concerned about the social and
economic development of our people,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said
during the launch of the new service at the Attorney General’s chambers
Friday.
It follows a similar move to automate the land
registry to reduce the time spent processing documents from 98 days to
less than 30 days.
The new service will also allow
Kenyans to search and reserve names for their businesses and companies
from the comfort of their homes and offices.
TWO MILLION FILES DIGITISED
Those
seeking to do business with companies will also be able to access
online the full list of directors serving any company registered in
Kenya, unlike the situation now when one has to go physically to the
State Law Office to conduct a search.
President
Kenyatta said the government would automate all its registry services,
making them accessible online, and ensure all payments are done through
mobile money to enhance service delivery and reduce corruption.
“People
will no longer be required to come to the Register of Companies to fill
in forms, which used to take at least three days,” Mr Muturi told the
President at the State Law office, where the launch took place.
He
added that two million files had been digitalised, adding that
e-registry reforms will be extended to all stations in the State Law
Office.
Automation of the processes will enable the
payment of stamp duty and registration fees at the same time, with the
Registrar of Companies stamping and registering the documents
simultaneously.
BEST PRACTICES
The
registration model being piloted at the companies registry is expected
to be incorporated at all Huduma Centres across the country.
The
President said all the three arms of Government are undergoing
restructuring to meet reasonable demands by Kenyans for better public
service delivery.
To reform the legal framework
governing enterprises, President Kenyatta said two Bills — the Companies
Bill and the Insolvency Bill — are ready for tabling in Parliament.
The
Bills, once approved by Parliament, he added, will introduce and
entrench international best practices in corporate law and management.
The
Companies Bill 2014 marks a shift in the culture of government, since
it embraces the gains that Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) offers by providing a pathway for online registration services,
President Kenyatta said.
The President added: “The
Companies Bill 2014 will streamline regulation and ownership of
businesses in Kenya. It also seeks to amend the Companies Act to align
it with emerging trends in the formation and operation of companies, and
to simplify their formation and operation.”
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