The Registrar-General's Department on Monday extended the deadline for the filing of Annual Returns from July 31 to December 31, 2020.

The extension is as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability of companies to hold their Annual General Meetings.

A statement signed by Ms Constance Adomaa Takyi, Head of Public Relations for Department, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the extension applied to all companies limited by shares and guarantee, including churches, associations, external companies and renewal of partnerships and businesses for 2019/2020 financial year.

It said the renewal fee for business names stood at GHC25.00 for each year; "This service does not attract any penalty and Filing of Annual Returns for all companies attracts a fee of GHC50.00".

However, it said the earlier information concerning a penalty increase from GHC400.00 to GHC450.00 from August 3, 2020 should be disregarded since it would no longer hold.

The statement cautioned clients to desist from using middle men when transacting business with the Department.

"We are also informing the public that the Department has not authorised anybody to demand mobile money payment for either filing of Annual Returns or Renewal of Businesses.

"The Registrar-General's Department does not have a Mobile Money Account Number nor have they appointed any registration agents to visit offices and homes to enforce compliance," the statement said.

"There is no Cancellation Unit at the Department mandated to call clients to file returns and the Legal and Audits Units at Registrar-General's Department have not been tasked to strike out any company/business names."

Effective Wednesday, July 15, 2020, the Department would start implementing a coupon system for all services offered at the Front Office by serving only 200 clients daily.

The statement said the new system was to enable clients to receive prompt and improved services from the Department and promote all the COVID-19 safety protocols of social distancing and avoid congestion.

It said officers would issue coupons to clients on a first–come–first-served basis throughout the working hours of 0800 to 1600 hours.

"If for any reason one is not served on a particular day within the first 200 numbers, they can come over the next day with their ticket number to be served."