Speaking at the opening of a four-day training seminar on new features of the Agent Internet Module (AIM) online system, Financial Services and Investments Minister Allyson Maynard-Gibson said the Department also hopes to realise continued progress in eliminating the backlog of recording deeds and documents.
Disclosing plans to utilise the recently launched Bahamas Inter-Bank Settlement System (BISS) to facilitate registry payments, the Minister said work on that initiative is ongoing.
The Central Bank, in collaboration with clearing banks, launched the upgraded payment system at the end of May.
“We are working on the ability to complete all transactions online,” she said.
“Some documents require a signature and/or seal. We await the advice of the Office of the Attorney General on how these can be rendered online given our e-commerce legislation. The number of companies taking advantage of this new implementation is encouraging and it is hoped that even more persons will utilise the system.”
For a number of years, the Department has been plagued by a backlog in the processing of documents, however, Mrs. Maynard-Gibson expressed confidence Monday that significant progress has been made in reducing the buildup.
“Work is continuing to complete the (digitising) of the civil registries, marriage deeds and documents and births and deaths registration,” she said.
“This would allow the registry to be more e-commerce friendly and provide faster and efficient services. The backlog of the recording of deeds and documents is now well in hand, as a local private company has been contracted to undertake the job of (digitising) and microfilming over 300 volumes.”
That project, she said, is scheduled to be completed by mid-September.
Noting some of the enhancements of the computerisation exercise, the Minister said Department officials hope to expand the new system to the Freeport office of the registrar general during the coming fiscal year.
“Much work has been done and emphasis placed on being able to offer (the public) the ability to submit, monitor and receive documents in the comfort of your office. This process has greatly impacted the turnaround time for processing documents and alleviating the hassle of standing in long lines for processing and receiving them.”ﾠﾠ
The training seminar is designed to apprise professionals who access registry services of some of the latest features of the phase II implementation of the AIM system.
New features of the upgrade include the ability to incorporate international business companies and companies incorporated under the Companies Act (Bahamian Companies) online, to reserve names, file returns and receive certificates for both types of companies.
The Registrar General’s Department launched the first phase of the AIM system in January 2003.
SOURCE:
