TANGA: BUSINESS Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA) has registered 15 businesses online in a day thanks to efforts to raise awareness and education during the 11th Trade and Tourism Fair.
The BRELA regional office data showed that on average they register only two businesses a month as traders failed to understand the online procedures and processes.
BRELA Lawyer Mr Lupikisyo Mwambago said at the ongoing 10-day exhibition yesterday that at the beginning of the year, the registration picks up but dwindles as the year goes by.
“The response is positive for a single day and indicates that more businesses will come forward to register after receiving the education on how to register online,” Mr Mwambago said “In some months we register no business online”.
The agency pegged their optimism to the fact that two days after the fair started self-business registration online gathered pace overwhelmingly. The exhibition started on Sunday.
“Many traders are not seeing the importance of registering their businesses until facing some challenges, especially when applying for government tenders,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Tanga Regional Commissioner Amb Batilda Buriani tasked the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) to educate MSMEs on simple ways of adding value to their products to fetch better prices.
Online Registration System (ORS) has significantly reduced the time and costs associated with registering a business.
The ORS introduced some four years ago cut down time taken from between three and five days to within an hour.
Additionally, the system connects various government departments under one roof, whereby one will be able to get a taxpayer identification number (TIN) and national identification number at the touch of a computer key.
