By Samuel Adadi AKAPULE, Bolgatanga
Business Development Advisor, Hillary Adongo, has expressed worry over the increasing skepticism by financial institutions regarding the authenticity of business renewal receipts issued by the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC). “Financial institutions are increasingly questioning the validity of receipts generated through the ORC’s online platform, primarily due to the absence of the official ORC logo,” he stated. “This recurring issue is creating unnecessary hurdles for small-scale businesses,” he said.
Mr. Adongo raised the concern in an interview with the B&FT after holding a meeting with some entrepreneurs running Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Bolgatanga of the Upper East region.
Mr. Adongo, who works closely with entrepreneurs and startups across the country, noted that, some entrepreneurs have been denied access to banking services due to doubts about the legitimacy of their receipts and documents. “As someone who has supported numerous businesses through this process, it is disheartening to receive calls from bank staff including personnel from reputable institutions, seeking clarification on a system that should already be widely recognized and trusted,” he added.
While commending the ORC for its efforts to simplify the formalization process for small and informal businesses through its online registration platform and the innovative, Mr. Adongo appealed to the ORC to include its official logo and branding on all receipts generated via the USSD platform. “This small but important addition would go a long way in reinforcing public confidence in the system and easing the burden on small business owners who rely on seamless access to financial services”, he added
He emphasized the need for the ORC to undertake awareness creation and sensitization campaigns targeting banks and other stakeholders saying “these effort could include workshops, webinars, informational circulars, and the development of verification mechanisms for banks to cross-check the status of business renewals. Financial institutions play a crucial role in the growth of the business ecosystem and must be adequately informed about regulatory tools and platforms”, he noted.
Poor responsiveness of the ORC’s online enquiry system
Mr. Adongo expressed concern about the poor responsiveness of the ORC’s online enquiry system and customer support channels particularly first-time registrants and entrepreneurs in rural areas often need assistance but are unable to get timely support. “Unfortunately, the online enquiry platforms and helplines are frequently unresponsive, forcing people to make unnecessary physical visits to ORC offices for even minor issues that undermines the broader national digitalization agenda,” he said.
He urged the ORC to audit and improve upon its customer service infrastructure, ensuring that enquiry phone lines are active during business hours and that email responses are timely and helpful. Some participants shared their ordeals, explaining how they missed numerous business opportunities due to skepticism from some institutions regarding the authenticity of receipts issued to them by the Office of the ORC. According to the participant effect by ORC to address issues confronting SMEs businesses in the region for economic growth.
