2,788 companies delisted from Registrar General’s register

The Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) has delisted 2,788 companies from its companies’ register for failing to file their annual returns with the Department.

This is due to the defaulted companies’ failure to comply with the Department’s demand to file their yearly returns or risk having their names removed from the company register.

The names of these firms were part of the first batch of over 100,000 defaulted and defunct companies the Department had identified to be stricken off the companies’s registry as part of its clean-up drive, which was previously published on the Department’s website and in national publications.

A statement signed by the Registrar-General, Jemima Oware, indicated that these companies include Companies Limited by Share: 1,374; Companies Limited by Guarantee (Churches, Fun Clubs, Associations, Union, Schools etc.): 978; External Companies: 41 and Others (Voluntarily owned up Companies for delisting): 395.

“This exercise was carried out in accordance with Section 289 of the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992) which connotes that a company can be stricken off the companies register for failing to file its annual returns on time or failing to notify the Registrar of Companies of a change in the company’s registered office and principal place of business,” it explained.

Other financial obligations

To avoid being removed from the companies’ register in phase two of the delisting exercise, which begins in February 2022, the Registrar-General has urged all defaulting and dormant companies, whether in operation or not, to file their annual returns by June 30, 2022 if their names do not appear on the first batch of deleted companies.

Furthermore, it stated that organisations and businesses that have yet to update their records with the Department, dubbed ‘re-registration,’ have until December 31, 2022 to do so.

“Any Company official with knowledge of the company’s non-existence or having no more interest in the Company’s Business Name should write to the Registrar-General indicating such intention or contact the Department Client Service Line on 055-765-3130 or 030-266-6081 to indicate such intent,” it said.

After June 30, 2022, the penalty for late filing of annual returns will be doubled from GHC450.00 to GHC500.00.

Fees for filing yearly returns and beneficial ownership information, on the other hand, remain at GHC50.00 and GHC60.00, respectively.

It urged all defaulting companies to go to www.rgd.gov.gh and look at the list of companies that have been eliminated.