The Ministry of ICT together with the Uganda Registration Services bureau have launched an online business registration system to ease registration of businesses and companies in the country.
Named the Online Business Registration System (OBRS), the system is integrated with the National Identification and Registration Authority(NIRA) and Uganda Revenue Authority.
The Ministry of ICT Permanent Secretary, Dr.Aminah Zawedde said the system will help ease registration and doing of business in Uganda.
“Today most of the businesses are being run online and not seeing physical business but rather online and with the new system, one can register their business from anywhere across the globe,” Dr.Zawedde said.
“The Ministry of ICT believes that embracing digital transformation will result into significant economic growth by leveraging on digital solutions, automation and online services. This will empower business register seamlessly, access essential services and embark on their entrepreneur ventures with greater efficiency and convenience.”
She noted that the system speaks to government’s efforts to accelerate digital transformation in the country so as to perform better in serving citizens.
The Ministry of ICT Permanent Secretary said currently, 25 ministries, departments and agencies are currently crosschecking information to be able to make use of the system.
“We want to ease the process of doing business with just a click of a button. We look forward to everyone’s support to make it a reality.”
Zawedde also allayed fears that the system has made a number of people jobless, noting that in the actual sense, it has created more opportunities.
“The people who have developed the system are not one or two but they are over 60 people. The system has to be maintained and therefore we have over 140 people employed in the Ministry of ICT. When it comes to the URSB side, they still have to continue doing the work they were doing previously, only that now it is being done online. Because there are so many applications coming in, we have to ensure we get many people to clear them. Therefore, to have a business registered in 30 minutes, it means you have to be with more people working behind the scene tireless to ensure it is seemless.”
She commended URSB for spearheading the initiative that will benefit a number of people.
The Registrar General and Executive Director of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, Mercy Kainobwisho hailed the system as one that will go a long way in ensuring ease in doing business in Uganda.
“This system will help go a long way in helping in business registration and related transactions but will also help reduce the cost of registration, curb revenue leakage and lead to improved URSB services,” she said.