The registration Portal of the Corporate Affairs Commission
(CAC) has crashed seven times within three months thereby affecting
the implementation of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing
Business policy.
Recall that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) in 2017 as the
then Acting President signed an Executive Order on Ease of Doing
Business to foster transparency and improve the business
environment in the country.
“The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
shall within 14 days of the issuance of this Order ensure that all
registration processes at the CAC are fully automated through the
CAC website from the start of an application process to completion,
including ensuring the availability of an online payment platform
where necessary,” the Order reads in part.
On the basis of the Order, CAC in 2018 engaged MainOne, a
Lagos-based private firm, to manage its company registration portal
to pave way for the Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, owners to
register their businesses with ease and have access to government
incentives.
However, people have continued to lament over the slow nature of
the services saying that the portal falls short of their
expectations as it crashes more often than not.
CAC staff, accredited agents cry for help
The instability of the portal has been causing untold hardship
on the accredited agents of the commission who have virtually been
shut out of business.
The agents who comprise lawyers, chartered accountants and
secretaries are not on the payroll of the commission but depend on
the commissions received after handling company registrations for
their clients.
One of the agents who did not want her name printed on the
newspaper for fear of losing her accreditation, disclosed that the
server had crashed seven times within the year 2020.
According to her, the breaking down of the site has made them
lose many clients, just as other clients had lost confidence in
them for not being able to register companies for them.
She said: “At the moment, no company registration is going on at
the CAC. This is the only source of our livelihoods and, as such,
we have been subjected to begging and other illicit ways of
surviving.”
A staffer at the CAC’s head office, who pleaded anonymity, said
even the revenue generation of the commission has been dwindling
due to the instability of the portal.
According to him, it took the grace of God for the commission to
pay salaries and settle other staff obligations during the
period.
“The portal has been on and off for the past few months. In
fact, throughout the COVID-19 lockdown period, the server had been
off. It would only come on and after a few days go off again.
MainOne is not competent. They should be changed or cautioned to be
up-and-doing.
“Most importantly, I believe there is saboteurs somewhere and
the management is not doing enough to arrest the situation.
“You know the Registrar-General just assumed office a few months
ago and you remember the drama that led to his emergence as the
head of the CAC. Maybe there are saboteurs from within,” the source
alleged.
CAC’s reaction
CAC has apologized to its customers on Wednesday for the
disruption of its online services which according to them started
from around 8:00AM on June, 9.
In a Notice signed by management, the commission said the
disruption is, “attributable to infrastructure failure at our
hosting facility in MainOne Data Centre in Lagos”.
“MainOne Cable Company Limited is responsible for the hosting
and management of the commission’s IT infrastructure.
“Efforts are being made by the management to restore normal
services as soon as possible.”
DAILY NIGERIAN
The registration Portal of the Corporate Affairs Commission
(CAC) has crashed seven times within three months thereby affecting
the implementation of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing
Business policy.
Recall that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) in 2017 as the
then Acting President signed an Executive Order on Ease of Doing
Business to foster transparency and improve the business
environment in the country.
“The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
shall within 14 days of the issuance of this Order ensure that all
registration processes at the CAC are fully automated through the
CAC website from the start of an application process to completion,
including ensuring the availability of an online payment platform
where necessary,” the Order reads in part.
On the basis of the Order, CAC in 2018 engaged MainOne, a
Lagos-based private firm, to manage its company registration portal
to pave way for the Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, owners to
register their businesses with ease and have access to government
incentives.
However, people have continued to lament over the slow nature of
the services saying that the portal falls short of their
expectations as it crashes more often than not.
CAC staff, accredited agents cry for help
The instability of the portal has been causing untold hardship
on the accredited agents of the commission who have virtually been
shut out of business.
The agents who comprise lawyers, chartered accountants and
secretaries are not on the payroll of the commission but depend on
the commissions received after handling company registrations for
their clients.
One of the agents who did not want her name printed on the
newspaper for fear of losing her accreditation, disclosed that the
server had crashed seven times within the year 2020.
According to her, the breaking down of the site has made them
lose many clients, just as other clients had lost confidence in
them for not being able to register companies for them.
She said: “At the moment, no company registration is going on at
the CAC. This is the only source of our livelihoods and, as such,
we have been subjected to begging and other illicit ways of
surviving.”
A staffer at the CAC’s head office, who pleaded anonymity, said
even the revenue generation of the commission has been dwindling
due to the instability of the portal.
According to him, it took the grace of God for the commission to
pay salaries and settle other staff obligations during the
period.
“The portal has been on and off for the past few months. In
fact, throughout the COVID-19 lockdown period, the server had been
off. It would only come on and after a few days go off again.
MainOne is not competent. They should be changed or cautioned to be
up-and-doing.
“Most importantly, I believe there is saboteurs somewhere and
the management is not doing enough to arrest the situation.
“You know the Registrar-General just assumed office a few months
ago and you remember the drama that led to his emergence as the
head of the CAC. Maybe there are saboteurs from within,” the source
alleged.
CAC’s reaction
CAC has apologized to its customers on Wednesday for the
disruption of its online services which according to them started
from around 8:00AM on June, 9.
In a Notice signed by management, the commission said the
disruption is, “attributable to infrastructure failure at our
hosting facility in MainOne Data Centre in Lagos”.
“MainOne Cable Company Limited is responsible for the hosting
and management of the commission’s IT infrastructure.
“Efforts are being made by the management to restore normal
services as soon as possible.”
DAILY NIGERIAN