The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) says it is committed to
improving the country’s ease of doing business to drive economic
rebound and growth.
Lady Azuka Azinge, Acting Registrar-General, CAC, made the
assertion during CAC Quarterly Customers’ Forum on Wednesday in
Lagos.
She said that the commission’s goal was to enable more
businesses, especially for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) to have access to online registration to deepen the formal
sector.
“CAC aligns with Federal Government’s agenda of boosting growth
of the economy through increased economic activities, employment
creation, infrastructure provision and making Nigeria one of the
world’s top investment destination.
“The commission embarked on several reforms aimed at easing
business registration in the country and the strategic reforms
includes, decentralisation of its operations and deployment of the
Company Registration Portal (CRP).
“Others include integration of the Company Registration Portal
(CRP) to the Stamp Duty Portal of the Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS) to further ease the process of company
registration,’’ Azinge said.
She noted that to further ease business registration, the
commission extended its working hours to 7 p.m. in its Lagos office
and at its six geo-political zonal offices.
“I am pleased to state that as at today, registration services
can now be done online in all our 36 state offices.
“I am also glad to inform you that the commission intends to
extend its online services to post-registration services as soon as
possible.
“Once that feat is attained, all of the commission’s services
will be available electronically.
“The target is to make things easier and convenient, such that
anything to do with your business in the commission can be started
and concluded with ease and speed,’’ she said.
Azinge noted that to effectively deliver on its statutory
mandate, CAC was working closely with National Assembly on the
amendment of its enabling law, the Companies and Allied Matters Act
(CAMA).
“The thrust of the amendment is to enhance the commission’s
supervisory and enforcement powers so that it can better regulate
in line with global standards,’’ she said.
Mr Dapo Abiodun, Chairman, CAC Board, said that it would support
the reform initiatives of the commission in tandem with the present
administration’s ease of doing business agenda and position CAC to
become a world class company’s registry.
“I want to assure you that as a board, we are determined to
pursue our mandate vigorously for the benefit of Nigerian economy
and urge you all to support us to achieve this herculean task,’’ he
said.
Mr Degu Agboade, President, National Association of Small and
Medium Enterprises (NASME), said that data from National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS), revealed that 37.9 billion SMEs are in the
country, adding that 90 per cent of the SMEs were in the informal
sector.
He said that there was need for effective collaboration towards
bringing in more MSMEs into the formal sector through ease of
business registration.
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) says it is committed to
improving the country’s ease of doing business to drive economic
rebound and growth.
Lady Azuka Azinge, Acting Registrar-General, CAC, made the
assertion during CAC Quarterly Customers’ Forum on Wednesday in
Lagos.
She said that the commission’s goal was to enable more
businesses, especially for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) to have access to online registration to deepen the formal
sector.
“CAC aligns with Federal Government’s agenda of boosting growth
of the economy through increased economic activities, employment
creation, infrastructure provision and making Nigeria one of the
world’s top investment destination.
“The commission embarked on several reforms aimed at easing
business registration in the country and the strategic reforms
includes, decentralisation of its operations and deployment of the
Company Registration Portal (CRP).
“Others include integration of the Company Registration Portal
(CRP) to the Stamp Duty Portal of the Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS) to further ease the process of company
registration,’’ Azinge said.
She noted that to further ease business registration, the
commission extended its working hours to 7 p.m. in its Lagos office
and at its six geo-political zonal offices.
“I am pleased to state that as at today, registration services
can now be done online in all our 36 state offices.
“I am also glad to inform you that the commission intends to
extend its online services to post-registration services as soon as
possible.
“Once that feat is attained, all of the commission’s services
will be available electronically.
“The target is to make things easier and convenient, such that
anything to do with your business in the commission can be started
and concluded with ease and speed,’’ she said.
Azinge noted that to effectively deliver on its statutory
mandate, CAC was working closely with National Assembly on the
amendment of its enabling law, the Companies and Allied Matters Act
(CAMA).
“The thrust of the amendment is to enhance the commission’s
supervisory and enforcement powers so that it can better regulate
in line with global standards,’’ she said.
Mr Dapo Abiodun, Chairman, CAC Board, said that it would support
the reform initiatives of the commission in tandem with the present
administration’s ease of doing business agenda and position CAC to
become a world class company’s registry.
“I want to assure you that as a board, we are determined to
pursue our mandate vigorously for the benefit of Nigerian economy
and urge you all to support us to achieve this herculean task,’’ he
said.
Mr Degu Agboade, President, National Association of Small and
Medium Enterprises (NASME), said that data from National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS), revealed that 37.9 billion SMEs are in the
country, adding that 90 per cent of the SMEs were in the informal
sector.
He said that there was need for effective collaboration towards
bringing in more MSMEs into the formal sector through ease of
business registration.