…AG says registry clears up backlog

THE long wait for land titles is over as the Land Registry successfully cleared the backlog of transactions which existed prior to the year 2015, Attorney General, Basil Williams told the National Assembly on Thursday.

He said the public can now expect to have titles issued in a timeframe of two weeks maximum all things being equal. “A lot of emphasis has been placed on delivering excellent customer service and our efforts have received positive responses from the customers. As such there are no outstanding cases of customer dissatisfaction,” Williams told the House during his budget debate presentation.

Transactions completed during the reporting period for Georgetown and Essequibo include: Private / Commercial Transfers 1300; CH&PA Transfers 984 and mortgages 1,163. Over in Berbice Private/Commercial Transfers were 305; CH&PA Transfers 242; Lands & Surveys Commission Transfers 24; Sugar Welfare Fund Transfers 10; Re-issued Titles; 143; mortgages; 247 and Miscellaneous 452.

Restoration of registers
Meanwhile, the AG reported that in excess of 800 registers have been fully restored, noting that the previously “loose leaf” state no longer exists due to an exercise undertaken to have all volumes bound. That exercise is now completed and it is now quite easy to store and secure these records in a fire-proof environment.

The AG also reported that the digitisation of all records at the Land Registry began in the second quarter of 2017 and is proceeding apace. Having regard to the fact the digitisation project extends over millions of documents; the completion date is projected at the end of the year 2018. Attention should be drawn to the significant reduction in the transactions processed compared to the previous reporting period. This fact is indeed a testimony to the elimination of the “backlog”.

Regarding the Deeds Registry (Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice) raked in $683,888,000 in revenue as at October 2017. When compared to 2016 the amount earned for this revenue period has increased by $184,286,065). “Mr. Speaker the Deeds Registry has benefitted from Governmental initiatives, such as the establishment of an online presence to provide efficient and convenient means of communication and information sharing for business purposes and to lay the foundation for the future, where electronic filing, registering of documents and their processing are deemed valid, thus eliminating personal visits to the Registry.”

Williams said the website is 80% complete and should be completed in six weeks. When this new system is fully implemented, it is expected that Attorneys-at-Law, home owners, real estate agents and business persons in and out of the jurisdiction can access this online service in the comfort of their offices and homes. It will provide efficient and convenient means of communication and information sharing for business purposes. It will, enable Attorneys-at-Law, home owners, real estate agents and business persons in and out of the jurisdiction to electronically file and process transactions and retrieve documents electronically. This website will be accessible to members of the public upon payment in advance to view the current status of conveyances filed.

For the Commercial Registry, Williams said this entity along with the Commerce Department of the Ministry of Business and the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a mechanism through which business registration services will be extended to businesses in Region Nine. Williams said his ministry acts as a conduit by ensuring registration forms and fees are dispersed to either the Commercial Registry or the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said another identical MOU was entered into by the Commercial Registry, along with the Commerce Department of the Ministry of Business and the Mahdia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Region Eight) in October, 2017. Both memoranda facilitate the smooth operation of the administration of businesses in both Regions Eight and Nine by facilitating the process of registration in a more efficient manner. This in turn, assists the Commercial Registry with fulfilling its mandate of providing these key government services to all in Guyana in the most accessible manner possible. Both agreements shall remain in force for a period of three years.

Intellectual property
The minister also said that the Intellectual Property division of the Commercial Registry is committed to the improvement and expansion of its services to better provide for the commercial population. He reminded that in August this year, the Commercial Registry, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), hosted a seminar themed ‘National Workshop on the Management of IP assets for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Agro-Processing Industry’.

The purpose of the workshop was to enlighten local proprietors on the IP tools they can use to protect their intangible assets so as to maximize profits. The commercial registry is pleased to report that the workshop was a success and received overwhelming support and participation from Small and Medium scaled enterprises within Guyana. The commercial registry in collaboration with various Intellectual Property Organisations through training continues to strengthen the enforcement and regulation of IP rights.

Further, another Memorandum of Understanding was entered into between the Commercial Registry and Credit Info Guyana on the 8th September, 2017. The purpose of the MOU is to establish the framework and guiding principles for a proposed cooperative alliance between the aforementioned which will facilitate regular and efficient data flows between the Registry and the Credit Bureau.

Under the terms of agreement, the registry will make available its existing database of records to Credit Info Guyana for purposes of inclusion in the Credit Bureau System database which serves the financial sector. Additionally, that upon the onetime payment of the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) the Registry of Commerce shall upon written request permit Credit Info Guyana to have access to its data as it relates to Businesses and Company records. Further a payment of the sum of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) per annum is agreed to. The said MOU shall remain in force for a period of three years.