NEPZA to kickstart new free zone registration system

Chinazor Megbolu. |

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), has said the agency will kickstart a new system for free zone registration from January 1, 2021.

In a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communications, NEPZA, Mr. Martins Odeh, the process would improve ease of doing business.

The Managing Director, NEPZA, Adesoji Adesugba in the statement, said the new process has two stages; that would be put in place immediately and the other to be adopted between 6 to 12 months.

According to him; “the steps leading to successful registration listed for adherence in the short term includes: the official submission of registration documents by clear scanned signed copy to emails of the zone administrators.

“This email should then be forwarded to the team at NEPZA headquarters instantaneously for processing. Once received by email, the documents should be processed, and a virtual screening meeting scheduled within 24 hours.

“Once the application is approved, certified true copies (CTC) of the scanned signed documents and the NEPZA registration certificate should be sent to the zone administrator on behalf of the newly registered enterprise.

“The zone manager will then submit the original documents to the zone administrator and collect the CTC documents and NEPZA registration certificate on behalf of the new enterprise’’.

The NEPZA boss buttressed further that the agency will operate a system-driven process in the long term, adding that there would be a company registration portal where all free zones could download the NEPZA forms, which would have serial numbers and submit documents for company registration.

Adesugba also pointed out the portal will allow uploads of evidence of registration fee payments made by remita to the treasury single account (TSA) and scheduling of virtual screening meeting.

“It is imperative that we continue to make timely process improvements such as this, in order to generate goodwill for the authority and position our free zones as an attractive investment location to a wide range of investors,” Adesugba said.