The Registrar Generals Department has held a stakeholders forum in the upper east region to carry out education on the E-Registrar portal.
The E- Registrar is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Ghana Community Network Service Ltd (GCNet) as the private entity and the Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Finance, National Information Technology Authority (NITA), Ghana Revenue Authority and the RGD as the public partners.
The project is one of the e-Ghana initiatives sponsored by the World Bank and implemented through the Minister of Communications and NITA.
The earlier phase of the reform which started somewhere in 2005 introduced an appropriate business registration and filing regime, adopted measures for business registration and filing services to be accessible to all businesses irrespective of their location in the country and also improved service delivery, thereby reducing the time and cost of registering and accessing information of businesses in the country.
The reforms, which largely involved the application of information and communications technology (ICT) into its operations, also saw the amendment of some businesses.
Addressing stakeholders in the Upper east regional capital on Wednesday, the Chief State Attorney Nana Ama Akyiaa Prempeh indicated that besides registering business names, marriages and estate administration, the new upgrade of E-Registrar Portal will also give clients the opportunity to transact business online with the department in relation to e-payment, online filing of returns, online searches, online booking of marriages, online scheduling of meetings for administration of estates as well as chats and scheduling of appointments with officers of the department.
“It is now very convenient to register a business, because you can now sit in the comfort of your home with your internet to do it without going to Tamale or Accra and I think that’s worth it,” she said
However, she stressed that it is illegal for foreigners to engage themselves in registration of sole proprietorship, because registration of sole proprietorship is a reserve for Ghanaians. She added that foreigners are only allowed to register as a limited liability company.
“If you want to indulge in retail trade and you’re a foreigner, the minimum capital that you need is $1 million dollars and that is about Ghc 4 million cedis, if is a service or a manufacturing firm, the minimum capital you need is ($500,000) Five hundred thousand dollars and that is about 2 million cedis and if is a joint venture between a Ghanaian and a foreigner then the minimum equity for the foreigner is $200,000 and 10% or more for the Ghanaian partner” said.
By: Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA
