By : P Uriah Suah
Ganta, Nimba County — The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Liberia Business Registry (LBR), has launched a business registration digitalization and decentralization project in Ganta, Nimba County, aimed at bringing business registration services closer to entrepreneurs and reducing the time required to obtain business certificates.
The launch, held at the Gompa City Mayor’s Office, brought together government officials, business leaders, community representatives, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders from across Nimba County.
Speaking during the ceremony, LBR Director General Patience Randall said the initiative is intended to decentralize the registry’s services and make business registration more accessible to people outside Monrovia.
Randall said the current system has forced many business owners to travel to Monrovia and wait for extended periods to complete their registration.
“Right now, you can get a Business Registration Certificate within four days,” Randall said, explaining that the processing time has been reduced significantly.
She added that the government plans to establish properly equipped LBR offices in the counties, with computers and internet access, to allow entrepreneurs to complete the registration process locally.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Tarnue N. Jeke, said the project is part of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s vision of taking government services closer to the people.
“Wherever you have Liberians living, you should take the services to the people,” Jeke said.
Jeke explained that the project is initially being piloted in seven counties, with Nimba selected because of its strong business activity and high number of business registrations. He said the decentralization process will be followed by full digitalization, allowing entrepreneurs to submit their information electronically without having to travel to Monrovia or complete lengthy paper-based procedures.
“When you reach digitalization, nobody will have to take the document to town. You will sit at a computer and do everything in the system,” Jeke explained.
The Deputy Minister also encouraged informal business operators to register their businesses, noting that registration can provide access to government programs, loans, grants, and other opportunities.
He said reducing bureaucratic hurdles is important because some entrepreneurs are discouraged by lengthy registration processes and the cost of repeatedly traveling to Monrovia.
Speaking on behalf of the Ganta business community, the spokesperson of the Ganta Business Association, Mrs. Massa Kamara Sabra, welcomed the initiative and said business owners in Ganta have long faced challenges associated with registration and renewal of business certificates.
Kamara said the decentralization of the service would reduce transportation costs and the time business owners spend traveling to Monrovia.
She also called for continued engagement between government authorities and the business community to address challenges affecting local entrepreneurs.
The project is expected to improve access to business registration services, reduce processing time, promote formalization of businesses, and make government services more accessible to entrepreneurs across Nimba County.
