The Registrar-General's Department on Thursday asked companies that have not submitted their annual returns to do so by 28 June. A statement from the Department signed by Mrs Elizabeth Owreidu-Gyampoh, Registrar-General, said companies that failed to deliver the arrears of their annual returns by August 30 would be prosecuted together with their Directors.

"Further, the Registrar of companies shall in pursuant to powers vested in her under section 261 of Act 179 of the Companies Code strike the names of the companies off the register by close of business and thereafter publish the same in the gazette and the dailies."

The statement said the announcement and subsequent action was in pursuant of section 122 of the Companies Code 1963 (Act 197), which stipulated that every company shall, once at least in every year, deliver to the Registrar for registration, an annual return including particulars relating to the matters prescribed in the third schedule of the code.

It also reminded rural and community banks under the code that they were obliged to deliver an annual return once every year in accordance with the provisions. Proprietors of registered partnership firms and business names were also reminded that it was mandatory for them to annually renew registration of their businesses, the statement said and added; "business names that are not renewed annually automatically lapse".