The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) says it has launched a consultancy to deliver a training programme, to assist the Registrars of Companies in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines with integrating a new, updated platform for the online registration and incorporation of companies.
It said that the Eastern Caribbean has witnessed a significant advancement in transforming its business registration processes under the Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology.
“This initiative was part of broader regional efforts to implement the commitments under the Revised Treaty of Basseterre, which aims to promote the free movement of people, goods, and services within the region.
“The Right of Establishment, particularly within the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union (ECEU) and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), is a key component of these efforts,” the OECS Commission said, adding that “by contributing to the single jurisdiction mandate to modernise the business registration process, the OECS Commission is encouraged that businesses within the region could thrive in a more efficient, transparent, and accessible environment”.
It said that this new platform follows the development work of the Regional Online Companies Registry System (OCRS) by the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in 2014, which sought to streamline and enhance the ease of doing business in the region.
“This system provided a platform for enabling online company registration across both the ECEU and the broader CARICOM region. However, the new platform, One Stop Shop Business Registration System (OSS BRS), will replace the OCRS.
“The OSS BRS boasts a host of new benefits to the delivery of government services. Designed with the latest technology, it provides a more user-friendly and integrated approach to business registration. The system will allow the electronic submission and processing of company registration applications, business names, and other legal entities, reducing the time and complexity traditionally associated with these processes.”
The Commission said that in preparation for the system’s rollout, it hosted a regional virtual inception meeting that officially introduced the consultancy team responsible for implementing the training workshops and offered stakeholders across the OECS region a first-hand look at the OSS BRS.
Participants also had the opportunity to witness a live demonstration of the system’s automated functions, which were designed to significantly enhance the process of registering businesses.
The OECS Commission said that the training workshops are scheduled to begin in January 2025, marking a crucial step in improving the ease of doing business in the OECS.
“By empowering government officials and service providers with the tools to navigate the new system, the OECS Commission aimed to foster a more efficient, accessible, and modern business environment across the region.
“This important initiative was expected to not only boost the ease of doing business but also to contribute to regional integration and economic growth, benefiting businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the OECS and CARICOM regions,” the Commission added.
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