Registered professional bodies in the country have been reminded to renew their professional certificates and that of their members on or before January 31, 2025.

The reminder, coming from the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), said failure to do so would result in the lapse of their registration, which would not permit them to operate.

The Registrar of the ORC, Jemima Mamaa Oware, explained that failure to register or renew the status on the register after expiration meant that the professional body was no longer recognised by law.

“Failure to renew the Professional Body and its Members' Certificates on or before January 31, 2025, will result in the automatic lapse of their registration, and they will be unable to practise in their respective professions,” Mrs Oware said in a statement.

“Pursuant to Section 16 and 17 (1) (2) of the Professional Bodies Registration Act, 1973 (NRCD 143), all Professional Bodies and their members must renew their Professional Bodies and Membership Certificates at the end of each calendar year to remain in good standing.

“Not only that, the law is very clear that if we do not register you and renew your membership of that professional body, it lapses. The entire professional body, as well as the professionals on the register lapses.

“This is something that we hadn’t really put much emphasis on. It’s not the Office of  Registrar of Company stretching the mandate, it’s within the law. And professional bodies are supposed to do this before the end of January of every particular year,” she said.

As part of the requirements for the renewal, all registered professional bodies must submit to the Registrar before January 31 of each calendar year a return in respect of the preceding year, a copy of its Audited Accounts, an up-to-date list of its members, the changes which had occurred in its Constitution, and any other information required by the Registrar.

The statement, therefore, advised all such registered professional bodies to do so to avoid any sanctions.

Challenge

One of the challenges the ORC has faced is getting the professional bodies to keep to the schedule for the annual registration.

It has held a series of meetings with the representatives of the professional bodies to get them to comply with the law but without much success.

Last year, for instance, the ORC was compelled to publish the names of some professional bodies that had failed to register their groups in 2023. 

The ORC

The Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) in Ghana was established on July 22, 2022.

It is a statutory entity that registers and regulates all types of businesses in Ghana.

It also provides advisory services and acts as a repository of corporate information.