The Office of the Registrar of Companies has engaged professional bodies on the new legal framework for registering professional groups in the country in accordance with Company Act 992 (2019).

Pursuant to the Act, the Registrar of Companies is mandated to register all professional bodies in the country.

Jemima Oware, the Registrar of Companies said in line with the new framework, professional bodies were required to undertake new registration and be issued with a new certificate.

The Registrar bemoaned how some professional bodies had not updated their records with the Registry after registering some four or five decades ago and asked them to do the needful.

“We also realised some of you the professional bodies have amended your names and your titles whiles some of you have moved on to become chattered institutes without informing us and some are operating without our approval,” she said, stressing that all those were unacceptable.

Commenting on the new legal framework, Professor Akwasi Ampofo Twumasi, President Chartered Institute of Certified Tax Accountants, indicated that his outfit had to engage in a legal tussle with the National Accreditation board on the specific institution mandated to regulate professional bodies.

He added that the ruling by the High Court was that, the institution with such mandate was the Registrar General, hence he implored all professional bodies to register and update their records with the Registrar of Companies.

Clement Wiredu, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Institute of Directors, said the new framework provided “substance” to the status of professional bodies in the country and urged them to embrace it.