Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB)
Tel: +256 414 233 219 | Fax: +256 414 250 712
Location: Plot 5 George Street, Georgian House Kampala, Uganda Postal Address: P.O.Box 6848 Kampala Uganda  Uganda Telecom will become profitable, URSB maintains Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has assured Ugandans that Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) will leap out of debt under its administration.“I have no doubt in my mind that we shall achieve this as government is committed to ensure that UTL continues to trade profitably,” URSB registrar general Bemanya Twebaze said.He was speaking to journalists in Kampala shortly after meeting UTL staff to put in place a strategy that will ensure the company not only becomes profitable but also very competitive. “As we speak, UTL is heavily indebted and my responsibility with the team is to ensure that we get out of this debt, that it survives but most importantly, that it runs as a going concern profitably,” Mr Twebaze said. URSB is engaging all stakeholders, including more than 400 UTL staff. Read more ▪ URSB: Register trademarks, local enterprises advised Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has urged Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to register their trademarks in order to protect their businesses.A trademark is a sign used to distinguish the goods and services offered by one enterprise from those of another. By its nature, it should be distinctive and not mislead clients.It may consist of any word, symbol, design, slogan, logo, sound, smell, colour, label, name, signature, letter or number.“It helps to protect your business against counterfeits. If you have a registered trademark and you raise a complaint, we can get the enforcement unit to confiscate the counterfeit because they are usually cheaper and this spoils your business,” Ms Jane Okot, the URSB deputy registrar general, said during a sensitisation workshop for SMEs in Kampala.Establishing a trademark compels business owners to create quality products that boost loyalty from customers. Read more ▪ URSB: Registration bureau to tackle copyright law bottlenecks The Uganda Registration Services Bureau is working on a programme to address the low understanding of the copyrights law in the country.According to Ms Fiona Bayiga, the director Intellectual property at URSB, among some of the suggestions by the URSB directorate, is amending the law to focus on areas that need to be changed to reflect on the needs of the moment.“Consultations have not yet begun because we have to start the process of procuring the consultant first. I cannot talk about what amendments, but we shall be looking at what the users would like to have,” Ms Bayiga said during a workshop at the offices in Kampala.The understanding of copyright laws have been low on account of low level of awareness of the intellectual property and laws being too complicated for the common man to understand.Read more ▪ URSB moves to check patent, copyright abuse What is the purpose of this bureau?The purpose of URSB is to spearhead legal and business registration reforms, private sector growth through enterprise formalisation and revenue collection. We are a public institution previously known as the department of Registrar General under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. URSB was granted a self-accounting status and its restructuring started.Since establishment, what impact have you created?We have facilitated private sector growth by creating an environment where enterprises operate in a legally regulated economy which has broadened the tax base for government. This facilitates business growth, creates jobs and increases business earnings, which contributes to wealth creation and poverty reduction. Business formalisation is the main growth path for enterprises. It increases their public visibility, access to markets, finance, participation in public procurement and access to government assistance programmes. Read more ▪ Role of URSB in implementation of business licensing reforms in Uganda The Government of Uganda has proposed to undertake a number of initiatives to create an enabling business environment and minimize the cost of doing business in order to attract more domestic and international investments.The move is a reflection of the commitment to improve the country’s performance in the global Doing Business (DB) Report and the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index.This means that both current and potential investors may rely on the global competitiveness and Doing Business reports as an indication of a country’s receptivity to business and such reports can influence investment decisions.In an effort to make it easy to start a business and acquire a business license from a single point, government tasked URSB to coordinate with all licensing regulatory agencies in the implementation of business licensing reforms, in this case implementation of the e-licensing portal.The licensing regulatory agencies are tasked with; designating a focal person to work with URSB and make sure that online licensing information is up-to-date; assist URSB to respond to inquiries from users concerning their licenses; participate in Working Group planning; and jointly plan for integrated services and future reforms. Read more ▪ URSB Registrar General Mr Bemanya Twebaze: Govt moves to implement one-stop licensing of businesses In a move to make it easy for entrepreneurs to start businesses and acquire trading licences from a single point, government has tasked Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to coordinate all licensing regulatory agencies in the country in the implementation of business licensing reforms through the e-licensing portal. The step reflects the government’s commitment to improve the country’s performance in the global Doing Business (DB) Report and the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index. This means that both current and potential investors may rely on the global competitiveness and DB reports as an indication of a country’s receptivity to business and such reports can influence investment decisions. In an email to Daily Monitor, Mr Bemanya Twebaze Registrar General URSB said: “Government of Uganda has proposed to undertake a number of initiatives to create an enabling business environment and minimise the cost of doing business in order to attract more domestic and international investments.” Read more ▪   NSSF, URSB agree to share key data National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to enable information/data sharing on companies registered with URSB and bio-data for NSSF members.Speaking at the MoU signing in Kampala, NSSF managing director Richard Byarugaba said: “Under this arrangement, URSB will provide NSSF with information on companies and bio data for NSSF’s members. This information is vital in enabling the Fund improve compliance and benefits processing.He added: “Our partnership with URSB is therefore very timely because it enables us access vital information on companies necessary for our compliance audits. We therefore believe that with increased access to information, our compliance levels will improve to 82 per cent up from 77 per cent.”On the other hand, URSB registrar general Bemanya Twebaze said URSB will have a registration centre at NSSF, while the Fund will also have a service centre at URSB. Read more ▪ URBS moves to automate business licensing As Uganda’s business rankings globally continue to drop, Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) has moved in to automate business registration process and ease the conditions for investors.The automation process will involve creation of an e-licensing portal, a one stop centre that will include services from application for business licences, registration, provision of necessary data, and acquisition of licences just at a click of a computer mouse.Speaking at a meeting on electronic licensing in Kampala, the registrar general URBS, Mr Bemanya Twebaze, said currently the system is overwhelmed and very bureaucratic with ministries, departments and Agencies all doing the same activity (issuing licences) yet in a very long time.“The e-licensing portal is already in place, though more of informational,” Mr Bemanya said. Read more ▪ URSB: Traders urged to embrace E-Registration The Uganda Registration Services Bureau [URSB] has called upon the private sector and business communities to formalize their businesses in order to take advantage of the benefits that come with business registration. URSB is a statutory body that was formed, and funded by the World Bank to a tune of $10m. The body aims to improve government transparency, accountability and to allow investors obtain licenses and registration of businesses online.Speaking at a workshop on sensitization assessment on operations of the e-licensing and business registration at Silver Springs hotel in Kampala, Mercy Kyomugasho, the director business registration URSB, encouraged business owners to adapt to the e-system. Read more ▪ URSB: How trademarks offer protection How do your customers identify the goods or services your business offers? I recently bought a lovely scarf at one of the craft markets on Buganda Road. My friend Susan admired it so much that she wanted to get one just like it.Unfortunately, when she went to the same craft market, Susan found it impossible to find what she was looking for. Without labels or any other form of identification on their products, the scarf-makers are missing out on the opportunity to cultivate repeat customers and to benefit from word of mouth advertising. Their scarves are nameless and can also be imitated by anyone who chooses to. If your goods or services are nameless and thus difficult to identify and protect, you ought to think about using some form of identifier.Read more ▪ Government to save Shs67b in online business registration he Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) wants more than 41 licences updated in order to enable government to save billions of shillingShe cited that this would ease regulatory and administrative burdens in order to enhance competitiveness and innovation in the business sector According to URSB director general Bemanya Twebaze, the e-system seeks to ease the registration of companies and the process of acquiring operational licences without incurring transport expenses.“We are moving to a stage where registration and licensing is done online (through internet). Why do we need a periodical process? This programme will focus on providing comprehensive information on all business licenses and all the required information regarding licence applications for the benefit our business community,” Mr Twebaze added.s in unnecessary procedures.This, the registration authority says, will also ease online registration once the public embraces electronic business registration and licensing. Read more ▪ |