Pretoria - The Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) has received record levels of annual returns for companies and close corporations at the cut-off date for non-compliant and close corporation deregistration.
The cut-off date of 21 February saw 14 581 electronic lodgements being made on that day.
"The number of lodgements we have received has increased consistently over the last two weeks, reaching a peak on the cut-off day," said acting chief executive officer, Lungile Dukwana.
Last month, CIPRO announced that it had extended its office hours in order to allow companies to submit their returns on time to avoid being deregistered.
The extended office hours resulted in over 300 walk in companies per day.
Dukwana said: "Lodgements of annual returns are an effective way to clean up the CIPRO database. Customers who had been deregistered for failing to lodge annual returns still have a chance to restore the registration of their businesses.
"They are required to pay all outstanding penalties on their annual returns, as well as a restoration fee of R150. Once payment for restoration has been received their businesses will be restored and lodgements of annual returns can proceed." - BuaNews
