The Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 now permits electronic share transfer and private companies to hold their general meetings virtually, the Head of Legal, Compliance and Governance, Advans Lafayette Microfinance Bank Limited, Jennifer Halim-Ubahakwe, has said.
She said this in a statement titled ‘CAMA 2020 allows electronic share transfer, virtual general meetings’ on Friday.
She described the new CAMA as Nigeria’s most significant business legislation in three decades, saying it introduced new provisions that promoted ease of doing business and reduced regulatory hurdles.
Speaking on the impact of the reduction of filing fees for registration of charges for those aspiring to register their businesses in Nigeria, Halim-Ubahakwe said the provision introduced a significant reduction in the fees payable for the registration of charges.
“It is a good incentive for potential and established businesses in Nigeria, especially for those in the lending market, as it saves cost and allows for ease of doing business,” she said.
Prior to the repeal of CAMA 2004, the fees for filing and registration of charges as applicable to both private and public companies were N10,000 on every N1m (1 per cent) and N20,000 on every N1m (2 per cent) respectively, the statement said.
It said, “By section 222 (12) of the new CAMA, 2020, the total fees payable to the commission with respect to the filing, registration or release of a charge with the commission should not exceed 0.35 per cent of the value of the charge or such other amount as the minister may specify in the Federal Government gazette.
“The Act introduces a framework for rescuing a company in distress and to keep it alive, which gives some assurance and comfort to founders and investors as against allowing such entity to become insolvent.
“SMEs can leverage on the company voluntary arrangement and the administration provisions of the new Act.”
“Under company voluntary arrangement, the directors may make a proposal to its creditors for a negotiated arrangement towards the satisfaction of its debt or a scheme of arrangement of its affairs to prevent the company from being wound up.”
