The Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) has registered 27,000 businesses across the country this year.
This is 3,000 higher than last year when the agency captured 24,000 new businesses on its register.
PACRA Public Relations Officer Vaida Njobvu said the companies being registered are involved in the tourism, construction, agriculture and mining sectors.
In statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mrs. Njobvu attributed the increase in the number of companies being registered to the many economic opportunities prevailing in the country.
She said PACRA has decentralized its services by opening up regional offices in eight provincial centres which include Mongu, Chipata, Kasama, Chinsali, Livingstone, Choma, Solwezi, Mansa and a receiving office in Ndola.
PACRA also has a regional office in Kitwe in the Copperbelt province.
Mrs. Njobvu said the agency will further decentralize its services next year to ensure that more businesses are formalized throughout the county.
She further said the agency intends to go online in its offer of services to the public such as business registrations and filing of annual returns.
Mrs. Njobvu added that PARCA was also working on other initiatives such as e-payment system and establishment of a call centre at the Lusaka head office to ease the process of registration of businesses and compliance with post registration requirements.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Njobvu said the agency has recently deregistered 710 companies for non compliance with the requirements of filing annual returns while 750 companies were also deregistered early this year.
She said this is indicated in the government gazette notices number 6252 dated November 15, 2013.
She further said the agency gazetted the names of all the 1,460 companies that have been struck off the register as required by the law.
Mrs. Njobvu has since urged all companies to promptly file their annual returns to avoid the inconvenience of paying penalties and being deregistered for non compliance.
This is good news lets encourage more individuals to leave the black market by making it more attractive and beneficial for them instead of taxing them to death…too many brief case businessmen.
excellent issues altogether, you simply gained a brand new reader. What could you recommend about your post that you just made some days ago? Any sure?
Enterpreneurship or tenderneurship? Merely registering companies is not entrepreneurship. Registering patents would be a better indicator.
1. Ilunda Chalo
2. Kabimba Energy suppliers
3. Mwansa Kapeya communications
4. Guy Scott Safaris
5. Chibesakunda prison suppliers
6. GBM defense contractors
7. Kaseba General Dealers
8. Shamenda Labor Suppliers
9. Mulenga Sata Doggers and Diggers
10. Masebo Parks and Tours
Many of these newly registered companies just exist on paper. It is important for PACRA to give us statistics of these newly registered companies which are actually operating. Such information will enable us determine how much value they are adding to the economy. 27,000 is a huge figure whose impact can be felt in a small economy of Zambia. Assuming that each of these companies employed an average of 10 employees, it will be safe to say that 270,000 new jobs have been created. Unfortunately, PACRA cannot give us such data.
How many of the 27000 registered companies are actually doing any business?
How do I check the profile of my company registered with Pacra ?