Mrs Jemima Oware
THE REGISTRAR-General’s Department (RGD) has delisted 2,788 companies from its Companies Register.
The companies, according to a statement issued and signed by Jemima Oware, Registrar General, were delisted for their failure to file their annual returns.
The statement added that they form part of the first batch of more than 100,000 companies which were in default and dormant, and whose names the department had penciled to strike off the Register.
The affected companies’ names were earlier published on the department’s website and in the national dailies.
These include 1,374, companies limited by shares; 978 limited by guarantee (i.e. churches, fun clubs, associations, union, schools etc); 41 external companies and 395 others (i.e. those who voluntarily owned up for delisting).
The department said the exercise was carried out in accordance with Section 289 of the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992), which connotes that a company can be stricken off the Companies Register for failing to file its annual returns on time, or failing to notify the Registrar of Companies of a change in the company’s registered office and principal place of business.
The Registrar-General’s Department has therefore advised all defaulting and dormant companies, whether in operations or not, whose names do not appear on the first batch of deleted companies, to file their annual returns by June 30, 2022, to avoid being removed from the Companies Register, in phase two of the delisting exercise which begins in earnest, in February 2022.
Additionally, it announced that companies and businesses which were yet to update their records with the department, have up to 31st December, 2022 to do so.
The department further highlighted, “Any company official with knowledge of the company’s non-existence or having no more interest in the company’s business name should write to the Registrar-General indicating such intention or contact the Department’s Client Service Line…”
Also, it reminded the business community that the “penalty for late filing of annual returns will be increased from GH¢450.00 to GH¢500.00 after June 30, 2022,” while fees for filing annual returns remained GH¢50.00 and GH¢60.00 for beneficial ownership information.