Legal Update – 21 February 2017

Default companies to be struck out of BRELA register

  • Warning issued to all companies not having filed annual returns
  • To be filed by 8 May 2017
  • Officers may be charged

The Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) has recently issued a Public Notice to remind all companies to file annual returns within a period of three months which ends on 8th May 2017. A 5200+ long pages list of companies that are in default appears on BRELA’s website www.brela.go.tz

It is a statutory duty for every company incorporated in Tanzania, to file Annual Returns with the Registrar of Companies.

As BRELA continues to update the defaulters list, companies are advised to check with their company secretaries to ensure full compliance. The BRELA defaulters list has the companies listed by their names and registration numbers.

BRELA in its statement has warned that those companies that will fail to comply with this directive within the three month period will be struck off the BRELA Register and their owners and officers be taken to Court. The three month period to comply with the directive expires on 8 May 2017.

Should the annual returns have been filed but BRELA records not showing such an update, companies are required to present BRELA with whatever filings that were done with a copy of receipts. The BRELA statement reads as follows:

“It is a statutory duty for every company incorporated in Tanzania to file their Annual Returns, with the Registrar of Companies, accompanied with Audited Accounts in every year. This is in accordance with sections 128(1) and 132(1) of the Companies Act (Cap. 212). Branches of Foreign Companies registered in Tanzania are, under section 438(1) of the same Law, are also required to file their Annual Accounts in every year. Non compliance of the above mentioned statutory and legal requirements is an offence under the law which may lead to a company be struck off the Registers, owners and officers be taken to Courts of Law, or both. This NOTICE is to remind and direct all companies with outstanding filings to file them within a period of three months from the 8th February 2017. Companies that will fail to comply with this directive within the specified period will be struck off the Registers and their owners and officers be taken to Court, starting from the 8th May 2017.”

You are advised to act accordingly.