ORC to cancel unrenewed business names from January 17, 2027

The Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) has given business owners until January 17, 2027, to renew their expired or outstanding business name registrations or risk having their names removed from the official register.

The directive, announced in a press release dated Wednesday, November 4, forms part of efforts to enforce the annual renewal requirement for registered business names.

The ORC said it had observed that several business names on its register had not been renewed as required by law.

The Registrar cautioned that business names not renewed by the January 17 deadline would be considered lapsed and subsequently removed from the register.

“NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all business names which are not renewed on or before 17th January, 2027 shall be deemed lapsed and shall accordingly be removed from the Register maintained by the Office,” the statement said in part.

The Office further cautioned that businesses whose names are cancelled would cease to exist under those registrations.

It further served caution that anyone who continues to operate under a cancelled business name would be acting in breach of the law and could face applicable sanctions.

Business owners with expired or outstanding renewals have been urged to settle all outstanding fees and complete their renewals at any ORC office or through the USSD code *222#.

They have also been advised to update changes in their business particulars, including their addresses and nature of business.

Meanwhile, owners who no longer intend to operate under their registered business names have been asked to notify the Registrar in writing to facilitate their removal from the register.

The Office said the exercise is part of its commitment to enforcing Ghana's corporate regulatory framework and promoting corporate governance and business transparency.