Kenya has announced that in the next three months, it will be possible to register businesses online.
The Finance minister Njeru Githae told Kenya’s Parliament that the country is set to roll out the electronic registration of businesses within the next three months.
Rwanda is currently the only country in the East African region where online registration of businesses is fully embraced—it only takes six hours to register a business in Rwanda.
The e-registration in Kenya will ensure that investors have an easy time setting up businesses in the country.
He added that a Bill –Business Regulation Bill– to simplify the process was in the works and will make it to Parliament as soon as possible to make that dream a reality.
Julius Kones (Konoin) had noted the long processes and multiple licenses required to set up and operate business in the country, saying they had made Kenya less attractive for foreign and even local entrepreneurs.
“Why does the government require a Bill to set up an e-registry when you already have a government policy on e-governance?” posed the Konoin MP.
Dr. Kones said that the 2011-2012 Doing Business Report that was prepared by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank had passed an indictment on Kenya as an investment destination.
Kenya was ranked number 109 in the world. Rwanda is ranked number 1 in the region and 3rd in Africa.
“What reform measures has the government taken to simplify payment of taxes and regulations for investors and what achievements have been made in improving the business environment to attract new investments in the country?” posed Dr Kones.
It is then that the Finance minister said that the government was aware that the business regulation environment was haphazard and that the processes too were inordinately long.
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