OECS Commission to begin training for ‘One Stop Shop’ Business Registry System

The Eastern Caribbean witnessed a significant advancement in transforming its business registration processes with support from the OECS Commission under the Regional ‘Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology’ Programme. On November 26, 2024, the Commission launched the consultancy to deliver a training programme to assist the Registrars of Companies in four OECS Protocol Member States—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines—with integrating a new, updated platform for the online registration and incorporation of companies.

A release from the OECS Commission states that the initiative was part of broader regional​ efforts to implement the commitments under the Revised Treaty of Basseterre, which aim to promote the free movement of people, goods, and services within the region. The Right of Establishment, particularly within the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union (ECEU), and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), is a key component of these efforts. By contributing to the single jurisdiction mandate to modernise the business registration process, the OECS Commission said it is encouraged that businesses within the region could thrive in a more efficient, transparent, and accessible environment.

This new platform follows the development work of the Regional Online Companies Registry System (OCRS) by the CARICOM Secretariat in 2014, which sought to streamline and enhance the ease of doing business in the region. This system provided a platform for enabling online company registration across both the ECEU and the broader CARICOM region. However, the new platform—One Stop Shop Business Registration System (OSS BRS)—will replace the OCRS.

The release explains that OSS BRS boasts a host of new benefits to the delivery of government services. Designed with the latest technology, it provides a more user-friendly and integrated approach to business registration. The system will allow the electronic submission and processing of company registration applications, business names, and other legal entities, reducing the time and complexity traditionally associated with these processes.

In preparation for the system’s rollout, the OECS Commission hosted a Regional inception meeting on November 26, 2024, via Zoom. This virtual event officially introduced the consultancy team responsible for implementing the training workshops and offered stakeholders across the OECS region a first-hand look at the OSS BRS. Participants also had the opportunity to witness a live demonstration of the system’s automated functions, which were designed to significantly enhance the process of registering businesses.

The training workshops are scheduled to begin in January 2025, marking a crucial step in improving the ease of doing business in the OECS. By empowering government officials and service providers with the tools to navigate the new system, the OECS Commission said it aimed to foster a more efficient, accessible, and modern business environment across the region.

This important initiative was expected to not only boost the ease of doing business, but also to contribute to regional integration and economic growth, benefiting businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the OECS and CARICOM regions.