External Companies are companies that are incorporated outside of Ghana with a registered place of business in Ghana.
External companies may be established in a country (outside its country of incorporation) for purposes of facilitating the business interest of its parent company.
Below are the External Company Registration In Ghana
As the external company is merely being registered and no subsidiary is being created, there is no requirement to have shareholders, appoint directors or take any other action normally associated with the incorporation of a new company. However, it will require a local manager(s) and a company’s agent for the purposes of the registration.
The local manager(s) is/are likened to a director who will administer the business of the external company in Ghana. The person could be a Ghanaian or a non-Ghanaian but must be resident in Ghana.
The company’s agent is also referred to as a process agent. He/she is a person authorized to accept service of process and other documents on the company’s behalf in Ghana.
An external company in Ghana must first register with the Registrar of Companies (“Registrar”) by delivering to the Registrar the certified true copies of its registration documents from its country of origin and further particulars listed below.
Registration particulars:
Registration of an external company must be completed within one month of the date of establishing a place of business in Ghana, by delivering to the Registrar the following:
a certified copy of the certificate of incorporation in the jurisdiction of origin and the company’s constitutional documents. If the constitutional documents are not in English language, a certified translated copy;
a statement duly notarized in the jurisdiction of origin of the company giving the following particulars regarding the company;
the name;
the nature of its business or other main objects;
the current and previous names, business occupation and current address the local manager(s);
notarized power of attorney authorizing the local manager(s) to act on behalf of the company;
if the company has shares, the number and nominal value of its authorized and issued shares, the amount paid up on the shares and the amount remaining payable on the shares distinguishing between the amounts paid and payable in cash and the amounts paid and payable otherwise than in cash;
the address of its registered or principal office or website in the country of its incorporation;
the address of its principal place of business in Ghana including an electronic mail address, digital address, post office box address and telephone contact;
the name and address of the company’s agent also known as process agent; and
a statement duly notarized in the jurisdiction of origin of the company giving the following particulars regarding the beneficial owners of the company;
the full name and any former name or alternate name:
the date and place of birth
the telephone number
the nationality and national identity number or passport number or any other appropriate identification
the residential and postal address
the nature of the interest; and
a confirmation as to whether the beneficial owner is a politically exposed person.
the particulars, and copies, of any charges on the property of the company that are required to be delivered for registration in accordance with the Companies Act or, if there are no charges, a statement to that effect.
Upon submission of the relevant documents, the Registrar shall register the documents in the register of external companies and publish the particulars in the Companies Bulletin.
Statutory fees:
The statutory fee for registering an external company is one thousand two hundred Ghana cedis 7,070.72 Ghana Cedi