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The Launch of the
Copperbelt Regional Office
The Patents and Companies Registration Office (PACRO)
officially launched its Coppbelbelt Regional Office on 30th
October 2007 in Ndola. The launch was part of PACRO’s
decentralization policy aimed at alleviating client hurdles in
accessing its services. The launch was officiated by the Honourable
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Mr. Felix Mutati, MP.
In his opening address, the Minister said “The
opening of the Copperbelt office was timely as it would support the
economic development taking place on the Copperbelt, in the
Northern, Luapula, and North Western parts of the country.”
The opening of the Ndola office is a culmination of
the programme to set up Customer Service Centres in various parts of
the country. The centres offer a one-stop shop for PACRO’s services
in a conducive atmosphere. The services have been automated via
internet link to the main server at the Lusaka head office. This
automation has resulted in improved service delivery.
“I am proud to announce that since the re-designing
and implementation of the new automated system in Lusaka, it now
takes three or less days to register a company”, he said.
He said records showed that registration had
increased by 40 per cent this year, with 3,700 business companies
being registered in the last nine months compared to 1,500 during
the same period in 2006.
Speaking at the same function, PACRO Registrar Mrs.
Anessie Michael Banda-Bobo appealed to the media to paint the
correct picture of the operations of the facility because a lot of
people thought it was difficult and expensive to register a company.
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