The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) has introduced an online service that allows eligible applicants to complete a business registration application in approximately 10 minutes, according to a release reported by the Jamaica Observer on Friday.
Called EZ Registration, the service combines electronic signatures, online payments and automated processing. Applications that satisfy the required criteria can receive automatic approval, reducing the administrative steps involved in registering a business.
Eligible applicants will need a reserved business name and a valid Jamaican driver’s licence to use the system. The approximately 10-minute timeframe refers to completing the application process; automatic approval depends on whether the application meets the requirements.
The service forms part of the COJ’s Go Green, Go Paperless initiative, supported by Compete Caribbean through the Inter-American Development Bank. It accompanies a wider expansion of digital services intended to make business information and corporate documents easier to access.
Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Senator Aubyn Hill said reducing time spent travelling to offices, waiting in queues and navigating administrative procedures would give entrepreneurs more time to serve customers and operate their businesses. He presented digital transformation as part of the country’s economic development efforts.
The COJ is also introducing or expanding electronic certificates, a digital document library, a registration checklist, entity searches and validation, electronic queue ticketing, electronic Letters of Good Standing and its mobile application.
According to the release, these services will enable customers to store and share business documents securely, verify registered entities, check outstanding documents and fees, and manage visits to COJ offices.
Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of Companies Shellie Leon said the agency’s continuing use of digitisation and automation was intended to free businesses’ time and resources for innovation and growth. Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer Inger Hainsley-Bennett said customers’ expectations of accessible, convenient and responsive services were guiding the changes.
The latest measures follow the introduction of the Electronic Business Registration Form, which reduced the paperwork required to start a business from 58 pages to eight. The agency expects its expanded online services to reduce administrative burdens and travel requirements, particularly for customers outside Kingston and Montego Bay.
The changes also extend access to corporate information. Third parties will be able to conduct due diligence on registered entities around the clock, according to the release, helping them check business information and determine whether an entity is registered.
For applicants, the central conditions remain eligibility, a reserved business name and a valid Jamaican driver’s licence. For people checking businesses, the expanded search and validation services are intended to make registration information more readily available.