Addressing a local industry association recently, the Minister of Financial Services and Investments confirmed that every effort is being made to fully computerise the Companies Registry by December 2002, and the entire Registry within the Government’s first term. She said that her Ministry recognises the service of the Registrar General’s office directly affects the financial services industry’s ability to deliver efficient service to its clients.

*”We hope to have an interactive system whereby there may be immediate communication between the Registry and persons seeking service at the Registry. The Department’s objective is to provide twenty-four hour (24) company registration and online company incorporation,”*said the Hon. Allyson Maynard-Gibson.

The Department has been positioning itself to meet the needs of the marketplace, providing more efficient and less time consuming services. There have been various enhancements of the Management Information System of the Company Registry in the Registrar General’s Department, with the first phase having been initiated in 2000. The previous PC system has been integrated with an IBM AS/400, and a new filing system has been put in place.

Services will include speedy remote name reservation, remote batch name processing, local name reservations, electronically submitted names and names reservation confirmation. Additionally, there will be local and remote document filing, local and remote incorporation processing, and certificates processing together with digitizing of various documents

On the occasion of her contribution to the Budget Debate some months back, Minister Maynard-Gibson noted the government’s commitment to the development and expansion of e-commerce. At that time, she said *”Perhaps citizens and our industry partners shall see our commitment to the full computerisation of the Registrar General’s Department as a significant step in this direction.”*

Early plans also include the relocation of the Department of the Registrar General to new premises on Market Street. The new location will allow the various sections of the Department to be under one roof with adequate parking for the general public when utilising the Department’s services. Similarly, there are plans for expansion of office space in the Freeport Office.