The Hon. Allyson Maynard-Gibson
The Ministry of Financial Services and Investments has announced the launch of the promised enhancements to the computerisation system at the Companies Registry of the Registrar General’s Department. Once completed, the $90,000 upgrade to the Management Information System (MIS) will provide users with access to the Registry over the Internet.
*”This will significantly add to our competitive edge as a financial centre,”* said Minister Allyson Maynard-Gibson, who added that the upgrade conveys a strong message of the Government’s seriousness about e-commerce and e-government.
It is anticipated that over the next 30 days staff training will be completed, as will be a policy for levels of access to information at the Registry. Second phase training will include registered agents and the general public.
Registrar General Sterling Quant said the newly enhanced system will enable registered agents to work directly from their offices, eliminating the need to come into the Registrar General’s office, and effectively speeding up the process for annual fees processing, document requests (including automated certificates of good standing) and filing, name reservations, and company enquiries.
The Registrar General’s Department began its computerisation programme in 1995, with ongoing upgrades. In April 2000, for example, nearly half a million dollars was spent on the Management Information System (MIS) with special emphasis on the Companies Registry.
General Manager of IBM, Mr. Felix Stubbs, said that his company was pleased to be part of the initiative, and also touted its significance to the enhancement of The Bahamas’ e-government initiative. It is the first application in The Bahamas where customers will be able to interact with Government on-line, and the partnership with IBM affords leading edge technology with access to significant resources, including online help.