A digital platform is being developed to facilitate the registration of businesses to eliminate hurdles associated with the process in Ghana, the Registrar General has disclosed.
Madam Jemima Oware who hinted this during a roundtable discussion organised by Veritas International Nominees and Trustees Limited on the theme, ‘Doing Business in Ghana: A Legal Perspective’, said, “Through the World Bank’s funding, we are coming up with completely new software, hopefully within a year.
“This should be deployed and it is going to be online. It’s going to be such that when you go in with your hard copy documents, we’ll charge you more.”
She thus urged Ghanaians to make use of the upcoming online platform to avoid third-party agents, locally called ‘Goro boys’ who usually end up duping them.
“I don’t know why Ghanaians don’t want to do things themselves. And the people they always go for end up ripping them off. Registration of a business name is just GH¢60 but they will pay somebody GH¢300 to register the name of their business. Because they just don’t want to even try and understand the system,” she lamented.
Madam Jemima was however hopeful that the clients will use the platform efficiently and “within 30 minutes, you’ll get your certificate.”
The Registrar General also assured that her outfit will soon begin the integration of their customers’ TIN and Ghana cards to help track business owners who engage in illicit activities.
“With the new system, the unique identifier is going to be the Ghana card. Currently, the e-registrar has not been upgraded to accept the Ghana card yet because of contractual obligations we have with our software developer.
“That is why we’re still using the TIN. But that is going to be upgraded even before the new system is put in place. People used to have as many as three or four TINs but the unique identifier will help you to track everyone in the system.”
