NRD Representatives in discussions with Officials of Commerce Ministry on the implementation phase of the Registry project
Photo Credit: J.S. Dortu

Overview of Liberia Business Registry Project

I. PROJECT BACKGROUND

In March 2006, the Government of Liberia invited the World Bank Group Investment Climate Team for Africa (ICTA) to undertake a diagnostic review of the investment climate of Liberia. The ICTA has since worked closely with the Government on various reform initiatives.

Following from the initial investment climate diagnostic work of the ICTA, the investment climate reform strategy of the Government of Liberia has recognized the catalytic effect of enterprise formalization to private sector development and poverty reduction and has prioritized the reform and institutional development of a modern Companies Registry (Registry Project).

Preliminary investigation shows considerable scope for the Government of Liberia to streamline the administrative process for business registration, reduce the cost of entry, and improve the integrity and security of business-registration systems.  Liberia seeks to benefit from best practices from developed and developing countries in streamlining the country’s business registration and business regulatory processes in order to reduce time and costs associated with such processes while providing other incentives for enterprise formalization.  The Government of Liberia has, as evidence of its commitment to empowering the private sector, secured the necessary funding for the Registry Project from the Investment Climate Facility for Africa.

Norway Registers Development NRD has through international tendering been engaged to design and create a modern Business/Commercial Registry in accordance with international best practice. The intended business registration system should incorporate the declaratory principle of registration based on one “business-state” interface (or one-stop-shop-model) for the complete legal process of business set-up, receipt of all necessary numbers and registration/incorporation certificates. Such a process should be undertaken only once for the life-span of each independent business enterprise. The establishment of a computerized single national database of businesses would ensure an efficient system of data storage, retrieval, verification and clearance of information required by different authorities for various purposes ( such as clearance of business names, verification of key officers etc). The business register will consist of a central office in towns and cities in Liberia (or which may be mobile) to facilitate easy access by businesses and individuals to register services.

     
II. OBJECTIVES

The overall objectives for the Liberia Business Registry Project is to streamline the country’s business registration and business regulatory processes in order to reduce the time and costs associated with such processes while providing other incentives for enterprise formalization. And to design and create a modern Business/commercial Registry in accordance with international best practice.

III. PROJECT PROGRAM

The NRD team will primarily work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It is envisaged however that the NRD team will interface and work with such other agencies and stakeholders as currently have or will have a role in the functions of the Business/Commercial Registry. The NRD team will report to the Joint Steering Committee (JSC), which shall have overall oversight responsibility for the Registry Project.

The NRD team will, as per the Terms of Reference and in accordance with the Service Delivery contract between NRD and the Government of Liberia, undertake an institutional and capacity assessment of the register; design an appropriate institutional framework for delivery of the functions of the register; digitize and automate the register and prepare and implement an institutional and capacity development of the register including training, transfer of best practice and facilitation of appropriate learning events; and, develop a framework for testing the efficiency of the register as a means to define future support needs.

The program will be executed in phases as follows:
               
1. Preparation and Inception Mission
2. Designing and consensus Mission
3. Implementation
4. Operation support

                       
PREPARATION AND INCEPTION MISSION

The NRD has completed the first phase of the program in January of 2009, the NRD team visited Liberia on their preparation and inception mission. During the visit, the NRD team met with line ministries and agencies related to registration of businesses into the commerce of Liberia. The NRD team also held two separate workshops:
• Introductory Workshop
• Directions Workshop

The workshops mentioned above brought together key stakeholders in the business
process. At the completion of the first phase on Interim Report.I was developed on the Government of Liberia Registry Project.

The second phase of the program is expected in April of 2009, which is the Designing and consensus Mission.     

The Project is expected to be completed and operational as of January 2010.