THE Companies Office of Jamaica’s (COJ) online platform — Electronic Business Registration Form (eBRF) — will be expanding its services to offer applicants the opportunity to register their businesses and companies from anywhere in the world by the end of the year.

The eBRF, which was launched last year, currently facilitates applicants registering the names of their business or company.

Speaking with JIS News at the eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference on Tuesday at the Jamaica Conference Centre, COJ public relations officer Kawain Fearon said the new venture is part of the organisation’s aim to improve access to their services.

“The eBRF provides another contact point for our customers to engage us and facilitates a business and customer-friendly environment. By enabling our customers to conduct their business online, we will be able improve efficiency and our ability to cater to the needs of our customers,” he added.

According to Fearon, the COJ is anticipating an improvement in the Doing Business Report, published by the World Bank, as a result of the launch of the online platform.

Jamaica is currently ranked sixth on the Ease of Starting a Business index.

The expanded services of the online platform are a part of the Government’s transformation efforts.

“Aspects of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme are geared towards making access to government services a lot easier and customer-centric. By putting all these features of starting a business or company in one place, it is making conducting business with us a one-stop shop,” he explained.

The expansion of services on the eBRF will include facilitating online payments of the fees associated with registering a company or business.

“Along with the ability to pay all fees using a credit or debit card online, persons will have the option to have their physical documents delivered by courier, or they can come into one of our offices to receive them,” Fearon said.

Various government agencies and departments participated in the conference, forming a part of the ‘MarketPlace and Government at Your Service’ feature that was launched by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith on Tuesday.