PACRA to digitise records

GOVERNMENT

By Edith Mwale, Lusaka, Zambia

Zambia’s Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) says it is incubating plans to digitise all business records relating to companies, sole proprietors and partnerships.

The digitisation process, which is expected to commence in January 2013, will entail re-indexing as well as scanning all documents held in the registry.

PACRA registrar and chief executive officer Anthony Bwembya said at a media briefing in Lusaka on Thursday that in order for the exercise to be carried out in a cost effective and efficient manner, “the agency intends to restrict the digitisation of records only to businesses that are compliant with the requirement to file annual returns."

PACRA has given amnesty to all companies that have not been submitting their annual returns to do so before January when the digitalisation exercise commences.

Bwembya warned that all defaulting companies and businesses that will not respond within the period of the amnesty will not have their records migrated therefore being deemed defunct and struck off the register without further notice.

He states that digitalising of all paper records will not only eliminate incidences of missing files and documents but will also make the process of conducting the business record search more faster and reliable.

Bwembya disclosed that the agency will spend over 3 billion kwacha (USD600,000) on the digitisation exercise.