The Registrar General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr. Bello Mahmud has revealed how effective some of the reforms he has introduced to the operations of the Commission, saying Nigeria is set to move up 20 steps in the World Bank business index very soon.
In an interview, he said “One of the reforms is the direct registration of companies by first directors and subscribers. This has removed the restriction that only accredited agents could register companies. We have also created public search window on our website which would provide names, addresses, registration numbers and dates of registration of all registered companies”.
“Also, in our bid to make our operation more functional, the commission has decentralised its operations by setting up start-to-finish registration process in six state offices. They are Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt.
“These offices can receive, approve, and issue new registration certificates directly to customers. This service would be extended to 20 other states by the third quarter of 2017.
“We have also reviewed our service timelines for registration services. Name reservation is now twelve hours from submission of request while new registration of companies, business names and incorporated trustees is now 24 hours from filing of application.
Giving insights on the Commission’s practical steps to actualizing the feats, the RG noted that “The commission has currently phased out physical submission of new applications for registration in the six state offices of Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt with effect from Monday May 15, 2017”.
According to him, customers processing new registration in these locations will directly complete the application forms and other relevant information and pay registration fee as well as Stamp Duty on the Company Registration Portal and thereafter upload all necessary documents through the commission’s upload interface after due execution.
He stressed that the objective is to ensure that Nigeria operates at par with some of the best Companies Registries in the world in the delivery of registration services.
In his further submission, he said “In order to ensure seamless operation of the Company Registration Portal and zero downtime, the commission outsourced the hosting of its main database and operating software to MainOne Data Centre in Lagos. This will ensure 99 per cent uptime thus ensuring efficient registration services”.
“The online registration is cheaper, faster and convenient as transactions can be conducted from the comfort of homes and offices. I wish to inform you that as of Friday May 19, 2017, just four days after the start of fully online registration; over 1,250 applications had been submitted online.
“The new system may not be without challenges; the commission however will ensure that all such challenges are promptly addressed. The ultimate goal of this management is to make CAC a world class company registry providing excellent registration services,” Mahmud said.
