The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Attorney General yesterday conceded that the July 14 target date for the Registrar General’s Department to launch complete online company incorporations had been missed, adding that its technology was “generations behind”.

Allyson Maynard-Gibson said technical challenges had delayed the service, with the Registrar General’s Department failing to keep abreast of advances in software and technology.

    Speaking outside the Cabinet Office, she said: “We had hoped that by July 14 we would have launched the capacity to incorporate companies entirely on-line. Very disappointingly, we have run into technical challenges.

“Unfortunately, the  Registrar General’s Department has not kept up-to-date with all of the new technology when it was appropriate. We are generations behind in terms of technology and updating it so that we can have that seamless experience on-line. It has taken longer than expected.  Very happily, I can say that we believe we now have everything in hand.”

   Mrs Maynard-Gibson added: “This was an important platform to launch because it has enabled us to look at what is happening elsewhere in the registry as well, and to make sure that having gone through the growing pains with this project, the other ones should be easier.”

    Mrs Maynard-Gibson said the online incorporation of companies would include name reservation through  the certificate of incorporation. “That in turn means that next year, when you file your annual returns and pay your annual fees online, you can get your certificate of good standing online,” she added.

“We’re also working on  deeds and documents, so that rather than stamping all by hand and so forth we can have unique identifiers for each page, which can reflect the time in which the document was filed. We will also be able to record every live birth immediately,  and also our intellectual property section is moving on really well to become a WIPO certified registry. That is a success story.”

    Mrs Maynard-Gibson said more cruise lines have been inquiring about maritime marriages. “More cruise lines have been asking to come on-board and, ultimately, this will allow marriage officers in New Providence and the islands to be able to use technology to file marriage licenses,” she added.

“The companies project has enabled us to address the failure to keep up to-date with the most recent generation of software and technology.”