Godfred Yeboah Dame
GODFRED YEBOAH Dame, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has pledged government’s support for the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) to acquire its own permanent offices in all the regions of the country to improve service delivery and ease of doing business in Ghana.
According to him, the ORC possesses the ability to be a formidable organ for the country in the area of good governance and the fight against corruption when effectively harnessed.
“In this regard, it is an absolute imperative for the ORC to have permanent offices around the country. The ORC needs to be firmly established in every region and district of Ghana,” the minister said.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the newly constructed office complex building for the ORC at Adum in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, last Monday.
The minister projected that the well-resourced edifice would inspire the staff of the ORC to give off their best in offering quality services to its subscribers and patrons.
The three-storey building, constructed with GHȼ8m, is made up of 34 rooms for office, two conference rooms, a pantry, canteen, 21 washrooms, reception, security office and a large car park.
According to the Attorney General, in Accra, US$3,500,000 has been paid for a two-acre piece of land acquired around the University of Ghana, Legon, for the construction of the headquarters of the ORC.
“I am informed that architectural drawings for the headquarters of the ORC will be ready by September 2023, and processes will be undertaken for the selection of a contractor for the construction which is expected to be completed within two years from now,” Mr. Dame said.
He disclosed that since the beginning of 2023, the Akufo-Addo government has permitted the ORC to keep 100 percent of its internally generated funds for its activities as part of its support for the ORC.
This support, Mr. Dame noted, has positioned the ORC to apply all the funds it generates from its activities to undertake development projects.
Mrs. Jemima Oware, the Registrar of Companies, said her outfit would set up a specialised division to help clients who lack knowledge in Information and Technology Education (ICT), stressing that a legislation would soon be proposed to make submission of online applications mandatory.
According to her, “all services provided by the ORC will also be made available online to reduce human congestion at the office premises and enable clients to access all our services from the comfort of their homes.”
With the opening of the ORC’s new office, Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, expected that administrative processes would be well streamlined, responsible business practices promoted, and the interests of all stakeholders protected.
“This new office with total focus on companies, will work effectively and efficiently so that difficulties that businessmen and investors encounter with company registration and other corporate administration would be lessened, if not eliminated,” the minister said.
FROM James Quansah, Kumasi