Yes, you can now register a business in Jamaica, night or day, seven days a week from the comfort of your home or office from anywhere in the world with the introduction of the revolutionary Electronic Business Registration Form (eBRF) from the Companies Office of Jamaica.
- no more waiting in line for hours;
- no more visits to multiple government offices for clearance letters;
- no more frustrating return visits to the Companies Office to re-lodge documents for simple rejection reasons
- no more delays in getting your business started
THE ELECTRONIC BUSINESS FORM(eBRF) AND HOW IT WORKS
It is just as easy as checking in for a flight without having to go to the airline desk at the airport !
The eBRF allows users to register a business name or company name from anywhere in the world without having to actually visit the Companies Office. It is a one-stop process, meaning that once the form is correctly completed and submitted, the applicant does not need to visit any other government office (NIS,TAJ etc.) to get additional clearances as the system will do all of that in one process.
To register log on to Companies Office of Jamaica Website https://www.orcjamaica.com/
Click on this link to watch step by step video tutorial on how to register – Watch Video
Step by Step Guide
You will need to have access to a computer and to the internet and have all the information at hand required to register the business.
- Log on to the Companies office website orcjamaica.com download the application form and complete it
- The form is interactive so that if you leave out any detail or make a mistake, the system will alert you so you can make the necessary changes then and there and submit it to the Companies Office
- The system will acknowledge receipt of the application and the Companies Office will give you a response by e-mail in two days and immediately provide you with an electronic copy of the registration certificate.
- You then have the choice of either having the hard copy
sent to you by courier wherever you are or you can collect it at the Companies Office.
- So what if you are in Jamaica and don’t have a computer or internet access? The Companies Office is setting up little booths at Tax Offices, the Companies Office(s) and at the office of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation in Kingston where you can go in and complete the application and submit it as if you were doing it from your home or office in Mandeville, Toronto, Atlanta, Brooklyn or Birmingham or wherever.
The Online Business Registration Form (eBRF) is really a conversion of the existing Superform which has been in use since 2014 but with lots of improvements and new features. By providing applicants with a confirmation within 48 hours it reduces the number of objections and therefore reduces the time it takes for registration. Moreover, it has the facility for accepting payment online using credit or debit cards and the ability to track the document. These features and the entire new system is a major boost for Jamaicans living abroad because it means you don’t have to travel to Jamaica to physically register your business. It saves time and the expense of travel, not to mention the hassle and frustration of running around going from government department to department and sometimes even having to return overseas without completing the registration.
Above all the eBRF takes the mystery out of setting up a business and puts the business owner completely in charge of his/her own affairs. And there is more to come as the Companies Office moves to add further improvements to its online services including the submission of Annual Returns and Change Forms.
WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS eBRF?
Trust us, it is a very big deal.
Here are some facts that you might not be aware of:
- Jamaica ranks number #6 in the world among 190 countries for ease of starting a business in 2018 according to the World Bank. This ranks Jamaica way above countries like the US#53, the UK#19 France#30 Switzerland #77 just to give a few comparisons of developed countries’ status. To show how far Jamaica has improved in this area, in 2008 the country was ranked at #20 and since then it is the only country to have seen such a large improvement in its rankings. The eBRF is bound to increase efficiency and therefore Jamaica’s ranking.
- Jamaica is now poised to become the first and most advanced digital economy in the Caribbean
- Did you know that it currently takes 4.1 hours on average for persons to complete a government transaction? Use of digital systems like the eBRF will drastically reduce the number of man hours spent in line
- Currently only 11% of transactions do NOT involve having to deal with more than one government agency. The eBRF is a perfect example of how many other transactions could be completed with a multiplicity of government agencies in a cross functional digital process
- Ninety (90%) per cent of all transactions with government agencies are still being done in person
When all the above statistics are taken into account, it will be appreciated how big a deal the eBRF is! As the slogan says:
“SAVE TIME – GO ONLINE”
To register log on to Companies Office of Jamaica Website https://www.orcjamaica.com/
Click on this link to watch step by step video tutorial on how to register – Watch Video
