The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has successfully collected Shs 77.14 billion in non-tax revenue between July 2022 and June 2023, surpassing the target of Shs 69.6 billion by Shs 7.54 billion.
The Registrar General of URSB, Mercy Kainobwisho, announced this achievement during the presentation of the annual performance report for the financial year 2022/23 at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre in Kololo on Wednesday.
Kainobwisho attributed this success to the Online Business Registration System (OBRS), which was developed in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.
The OBRS has significantly improved customer experience and streamlined the submission process, resulting in faster registration timelines.
"Our investments in innovative technologies have focused on making registration quick and convenient for our customers," Kainobwisho said.
She also highlighted that the provision of online services, such as company incorporation, document certification, and company resolutions, is expected to lead to more regulations.
Kainobwisho further emphasised the importance of public sensitisation and communication in driving the growth of non-tax revenue.
She said the bureau has collaborated with key entities to enhance partnerships and improve collaboration.
The establishment of a one-stop business facilitation centre has enabled joint service delivery synergies.
In terms of formalisation, Kainobwisho noted that the bureau registered 23,789 companies, 27,104 business names, 86,375 legal documents, and 1,483 debentures between July 2022 and June 2023.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The number of registered companies increased by 28% compared to the previous year, primarily due to automation simplifying the registration process.
Kainobwisho highlighted the establishment of the electronic Security Interest in Movable Property Registry System (SIMPO) in 2019.
This system allows lenders to register interests in movable property.
In the same financial year , 6,179 loans were extended to borrowers using movable property as collateral.
Additionally, Kainobwisho said the bureau received 139 copyright applications and registered 80 copyrights during the same period.
She said they also processed 43 industrial design applications, registered 16 industrial designs, received 27 utility model applications, and granted 6 utility models.
The bureau also received 30 patent applications, made 2,214 local trademark applications with 1,360 registrations, 1,431 foreign trademark applications, and registered 2,105.
There were also 336 local trademark renewals and 2,228 foreign trademark renewals.
In terms of innovation, Kainobwisho said they launched the 32nd Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Lira University.
These centers aim to improve the quality of research in universities and research institutions by providing access to up-to-date patent and non-patent databases.
The TISC program is supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
As part of a bilateral project with the World Intellectual Property Organization, the bureau developed two technologies to address local community challenges related to climate change:
