ORC clean-up: 2,584 dormant, defaulted firms to be struck off register in January 2023

The Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) has indicated that it will publish the list of 2,584 dormant and defaulted Companies as part of the processes to get them off its Register.

According to the ORC, the move forms part of the second phase of the clean-up exercise which began at the beginning of the year and saw over 2,700 dormant and defaulted Companies struck off from the Companies Register in accordance with the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992) for failure to file their Annual Returns and Amendments with the Office.

Public Relations Officer of the ORC, Nicholas Ofori speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb Business explained that clean-up is aimed at maintaining, reporting accurate and reliable data on registered businesses in the country.

He pointed out that the clean-up exercise had become necessary to sanitise the industry and therefore called on companies to file their annual returns before December 31, 2022 to avoid being taken off.

“All Company entities namely; Private/Public Companies Limited by Shares, Private/Public Companies Limited by Guarantee (Schools, Associations, Churches, Foundations, Unions, Civil Society Organizations, Fun Clubs, NGO’s, etc.) are to file their Annual Returns together with their Financial Statement with the ORC at a cost of GH¢50.00 or in default pay a penalty of GH¢500.00 in addition to fees own in arrears. I am therefore urging all Company official to file their Annual Returns before 31st December, 2022 to avoid being struck off from the Companies Register”.

Nicholas Ofori further said the companies earmarked to be struck off would be made inactive in the e-Register application and therefore cannot be electronically accessed.

He furthered that a company once struck off would require a Court Order to the Registrar of Companies for reinstatement after it has shown cause to the Court for non-compliance with its obligation.

“The effects of being stricken off the Companies Register is not great and therefore all companies must file their Annual Returns and comply with all directives of the Registrar of Companies as required by the Companies Act 992”

The ORC PRO added that external or foreign companies are required to submit their “Group Account’ with the Office of the Registrar of Companies at a cost of US$690.00 or in default pay US$750.00 in addition to fees owe in arrears.

“Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships should renew their businesses at a cost of GH¢30.00 and GH¢ 60.00 respectively. However, Partnership in default would pay a penalty of GH¢500.00 in addition to fees owed in arrears,” he noted.

Mr. Ofori also indicated that Sole Proprietorship businesses can now pay for their business renewal with their mobile money wallet using the Ghana.Gov payment platform.

He however advised the public to remain vigilant against fraudsters who use the name of the Office to defraud clients by directing them to send Mobile Money (MoMo) to a certain number to renew their businesses for them.

He cautioned that the ORC has not authorized any person or agent to transact business on its behalf and called on the public to report such activities to the Office.

MA