The Uganda Registration Services Bureau is an autonomous statutory body established by Chapter 210 Laws of Uganda in 1998. The Bureau was created to take over the functions of the Registrar General’s Office under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

The Act came into force on the 16th of August, 2004 and the self-accounting status was granted in July, 2010. The bureau is governed by the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer is the Registrar General.

Functions of the Bureau

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Section 4(2) of URSB Act stipulates that the Bureau shall, for the purpose of achieving its objectives, have the following functions:-

1. Carry out all registrations required under the relevant laws.
2. Maintain registers, data and records on registrations affected by the bureau and to act as a clearing house for information and data on those registrations.
3. Evaluate from time to time the practicability and efficacy of the relevant laws and advise the Government accordingly.
4. Carry on research and also disseminate research findings in the fields covered by the relevant laws through seminars, workshops, publications or other means and to recommend to the Government any improvements in the relevant laws appearing to the Bureau to be required as a result.
5. Charge fees for any services performed by the Bureau.
6. Perform any other function or to carry out such other activity as may be conducive or incidental to the efficient discharge of its objects or as the Minister may, by statutory instrument, direct.
7. Act as the agent of the Uganda Revenue Authority in the collection of stamp duty under the Stamps Act in respect of any documents or other matter on or in respect of which stamp duty is required to be paid and connected with the functions of the bureau under this Act.

URSB Mandate

We are responsible for the following functions;

1. Business Registration – includes registration of companies and business names, partnerships, documents, debentures and chattels transfer.
2. Official Receiver in liquidation of companies and bankruptcy matters.
3. Intellectual Property Rights – includes registration of Patents, Utility models.
4. Industrial designs, Trademarks , Service marks and Copyright and Neighbouring Rights.
5. Civil Registration – includes births, deaths, adoption orders granted by Courts and civil marriages.
6. Collect Non Tax Revenue (NTR)

Vision
“An organization that is efficient, effective, self sustaining and customer focused in service delivery”

Mission
“To promote, protect and register; business enterprises, intellectual property rights, civil matters, act as Official Receiver and collect Non tax Revenue through an effective records management system”.

Core Values

• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Punctuality
• Customer care

Business Registration

OVERVIEW
It is the registry operated by the Directorate of Business Registration of Uganda Registration Services Bureau.

SERVICES OF THE BUSINESS REGISTRY
We provide the following Business Registration Services:

1. COMPANY REGISTRATION SERVICES

New company registration
• Public Limited Companies
• Private Limited Companies (The companies limited by shares including single member companies and companies limited by guarantee)
• Foreign Companies
• Unlimited Companies

Registering events and occurrences in the life time of the company.
• Company Resolutions arising from Company meetings.
• Company Forms as provided in the law.

The Laws Applicable:
The Companies Act No.1 of 2012
The Companies (General) Regulations SI 110-1
The Finance bill 2013-viz the Taxes and Duties (Provisional Collection) Order No. 27 of 2013
The Companies (High Court)(Fees) Rules SI 110-4
The Insolvency Act, 2011
Capital Markets Authority (Amendment) Act 2011
The Insolvency Regulations No.36 of 2013

2. BUSINESS NAME REGISTRATION SERVICES.

• New Business names Registration (Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships)
• Change of particulars of Registered Business Name.
• Cessation of Business Name.
  The Laws Applicable:
  The Business Names Registration Act, Cap 109
  The Business Names Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2005 SI 53/2005
  The Business Names Registration (Appointment of Registrar) Order SI 109-2
  The Finance bill 2013-viz the Taxes and Duties (Provisional Collection) Order No. 27 of 2013
  The Business Names Registration (Appointment of Registrar) Order SI 109-2
  The Partnerships Act, 2010

3. LEGAL DOCUMENTS REGISTRATION SERVICES.

Our services include the following types of documents:
• Constitutions
• Deeds
• Agreements; eg. Joint Venture Agreements, Tenancy Agreements, Sale Agreements, Contracts, Memorandum of Understanding.

The Laws Applicable
• The Registration of Documents Act, Cap 81
• The Registration of Documents (Fees)(Amendment) Rules 2005

4. REGISTRATION OF COLLATERAL SECURITY INTERESTS.

We register Chattels, Mortgages and Debentures.

The Laws Applicable
• Companies Act 2012
• Chattels Transfer Act, Cap 70

5. INFORMATION SERVICES.

Uganda Registration Services Bureau maintains registers and data records in the registrations and as such, the Business Registry is a clearing house for the information and data on these registrations.
The Laws Applicable
• The Uganda Registration Services Bureau Act, Cap 210
• The Uganda Registration Services Bureau Act (Commencement) Instrument, 2004. SI 48/2004

6. BUSINESS REGISTRATION ADVISORY SERVICES.

Uganda Registration Services Bureau provides technical advice on the business registration it carries out.

The Law Applicable
• The Uganda Registration Services Bureau Act, Cap 210
• The Uganda Registration Services Bureau Act (Commencement) Instrument, 2004. SI 48/2004

7. ASSESSMENT OF FEES.

Uganda Registration Services Bureau as by law is an agent of the Uganda Revenue Authority for assessment of fees payable for the services it offers.

Laws Applicable
• The Stamps Act, Cap 342
• The Stamps (Amendment Act) 2002
• The Stamps (Amendment) Act 2009

Civil Registration

Civil registration is the official recording of one’s particulars in the official form provided by the law and recognized both nationally and internationally. Birth, death, adoption and marriage are part of a broad civil registration system also referred to as the registration of civil events.

This section is mandated under the laws mentioned below to ensure that all the materials related to the above are delivered to all the gazzeted registration centers and ensure that the reports and returns are submitted back to the section quarterly.

The section has so far developed guidelines on procedures for registration and now is in the process of piloting mobile registration. It is therefore our mandate to ensure that all marriages occurring in Uganda are registered. Despite several challenges, the section has done its best to serve the public with due diligence.

The objectives and functions of the Civil Directorate include registration of all marriages, licensing churches to celebrate marriages and solemnizing civil marriages. Collection and accounting for all revenue generated from the provision of these services.

Liquidation & Official Receiver

The office of the official receiver is created by Section 198 of the insolvency Act, 2011. The Registrar General was appointed by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as the Official Receiver and mainly deals with issues of individual and corporate insolvencies.

The Official Receiver under section 199 of the insolvency Act is mandated to:

• Investigate the directors, shareholders, contributories and all present and past officers of an insolvent company or of a company which being wound up or liquidated, for the purpose of establishing any fraud or impropriety;
• Investigate the promotion, formation, failure and conduct of business of an insolvent company;
• Prosecute any person for offences committed under this Act or discovered to have a case to answer as a result of investigations carried out;
• Investigate the conduct of insolvency practitioners and to prosecute them for any offences committed;
• Act during a vacancy in the office of an insolvency practitioner: and
• Take all necessary steps and actions considered fit by the official receiver to fulfill the provisions of this Act.

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