First of all, I want to say that I am a very positive person and my brain goes into overdrive working on solutions when I encounter problems. So I will always try to talk in solutions mode. I love anything that can be done online. What is the problem?
The Registrar General Department (RGD) has started the online filing on their website https://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/ttCompaniesRegistry/login of the following:
Annual Returns, Notice of Change of Directors, Return of Alterations of Directors, Notice of Secretary/Assistant or Notice of Change of Secretary/Assistant and Notice of Change of Address all under the heading called Post Incorporation Type.
Under the heading Registration /Incorporation Type you can file the following online:
Business Registration, Company Incorporation (Profit/Non-Profit), External Company Registration, Non-Profit Organisation Registration
There is a Name Search Facility. A service which allows the user to search for and retrieve information on Companies and Businesses incorporated/registered with the Companies Registry. You may:
search for a Company or Business name, at $0;
download –
Company or Business file at a total cost of TT$20.00; or
copies of individual documents, at a cost of TT$2.00 per page;
Included on the website is the Name Reservation Service which allows you to submit a request for a name approval and reservation for a Company/Business. This service can also be used to request an extension or replacement of an existing name reservation and to reserve a name to change the name of an existing Company/Business.
You can request the following: New business name reservation, New company name reservation, Change of name of an existing business/company ^ New external company name reservation ^ New non-profit organisation name reservation
^ A name reservation is required to register an External Company or a Non-Profit Organisation. This provides a reference number which allows potential directors (External Company) and controllers (Non-Profit Organisation) to approve their inclusion on the registration. This is a free and automatic service.
Before anyone could access this service anyone, ALL Directors, Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries of companies have to register online and be approved by the Registrar General's Department. The process can be time consuming, stressful especially if you have Annual Returns to file for several companies, time wasting especially when you go to the RGD Office and leave RGD without any resolutions. So don't get upset when someone wants to charge you $900 to do the registration and filing of Annual Returns under this new system.
For those of you that would like to take up the challenge to do the registration yourself for you and your Directors, I will be posting on my website (janicelearmondcriqui.com), the process that will help you to have some patience with the process.
I want you to remember that the system is ever changing. Today one thing will work and it is lightly to change the next time you log into your account.
Here are some suggestions for RGD which will help make life easier for citizens:
· Introduce a bar code for forms completed online. This will eliminate people who have to take time to come down to the RGD to have 2 original copies stamped with 1 original copy being returned to the customer. The embassies use a barcode system. Talk to them.
· Hire more people to answer the telephones. Not even the staff trying their best to help customers can get through to the relevant people in the IT Department.
· Hire more people to manage the amount of tickets being received in your ticketing system. Tickets are being allowed to sit unattended for days and I am told that I need to have my ticket number when I go to RGD to get help from staff. Having built databases for years, I know that searches can be done on email addresses and First and Last names.
· Produce a how-to manual with diagrams. This is not rock science.
It is unfair to unleash a system and have people bawling and complaining.
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