





Chief Guest Dr. Mary Teopista (Center), Amb. Francis Butagira, Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho and URSB board members pose for a photo at the URSB ISO Certification External Stakeholders celebration
Hon. Nobert Mao congratulates the Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, and Board member, Ms. Lydia A. Sekkabira on the ISO 9001:2015 certification milestone
Mr. Hamidu Tumuhimbise, a senior Registration Officer, attends to a client during the UEB claimants exercise at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center, Kololo
A delegation from PACRA led by the Deputy Registrar Mr. Chewe Peter Chilufya (Center) visited URSB for a 3 days benchmarking visit on the Intellectual Property Registry on how systems operate, the digital improvements implemented and how these reforms contribute to reduced turnaround time
A delegation from UNOC visits URSB to benchmark on the Digital Transformation Journey.
Director General WIPO Mr. Daren Tang, Minister of Justice Hon. Nobert Mao, The Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, URSB Board members a delegation from WIPO pause for a photo at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center during the DG’s mission to Uganda

URSB Highlights Formalisation Gains at PSD Annual Review Panel
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing business formalisation during a panel discussion at the Private Sector Development (PSD) Programme Annual Review convened by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development at Mestil Hotel.
Speaking during the discussion under the theme “Strengthening Formalisation under the NDP IV,” the Commissioner for Business Registration Mr. Gilbert Agaba clarified the difference between formal and informal enterprises. He noted that while many businesses operate informally, only those registered with URSB are legally recognised as formal entities in Uganda.


He explained that under the previous National Development Plan, several interventions were introduced to tackle informality and improve competitiveness. These included legal reforms to modernise the registration framework, the Mass Business Registration Project, the Taxpayer Register Expansion Programme (TREP), and the rollout of the Online Business Registration System.
The initiatives, supported by the Ministry of Finance, were designed to simplify procedures, enhance transparency and encourage entrepreneurs to formalise their operations.


Mr. Agaba emphasised that formalisation enables businesses to access financing, government programmes and wider markets, contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
He concluded by thanking the Ministry of Finance for the invitation, noting that the annual review provides URSB with an opportunity to hear directly from private sector players and strengthen efforts to educate the public on the benefits of registering their businesses.