Unlike in the past when it would take Kenyans 24 hours to register their businesses at Company’s Registry, it will now take them 24 hours as the government has moved to automate the registration process.
This is according to Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Government of Kenya Adan Mohammed who was speaking during his ministry’s ministerial periodical update on progress in the area of Ease of Doing Business in Kenya.
With the new move business can be registered from any county and businesses will conduct unique name research and research through mobile phone technology (USSD) platform instead of having to visit the Registrar of Companies office located in Nairobi.
Additionally, the unique name search & reservation services have been decentralized to Huduma Service Centres and unique business name search can now be done on the online portal at https://www.ecitizen.go.ke/
“This reform has resulted in the reduction of the time taken to search & reserve unique name to immediately,” said Mohammed.
Records at the Registrar of Companies have been digitized to facilitate quick name search and reservation and the registrar has also consolidated paying stamp duty, stamping of MOA & payment of registration fees
“We are introducing a government service where standard memorandum & articles of association are provided by gov’t lawyers,” said the CS.
He added that they are also eliminating the need to have a commissioner of Oaths to witness the declaration of compliance while the verifying of directors & shareholders will also be linked online with the Integrated Persons Registry Service system
“We are automating business registration as much as possible. Documents will now be submitted online,” explained Mohammed.
The registration for taxes will be automated as well as the application for business permits from county government.Unnecessary procedures like the requirement to make a company seal will be eliminated.
“We want to fast track the consolidation of filing and payment of PAYE, NHIF and NSSF fees.We want to enable the filing of employee related taxes and fees on the iTax platform and create a single payment gateway,” he said.
The process is under pilot in 58 companies.