Malawi Launches New Agency to Streamline Company and Intellectual Property Registration

The Malawi Government has launched the country’s first dedicated agency for company registration and intellectual property management, in a major reform aimed at improving efficiency, reducing bureaucracy, and strengthening the business environment.

Minister of Justice Charles Mhango officially unveiled the Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre (CRIPC) on Thursday during a launch ceremony in Lilongwe.

The newly established institution replaces the former Department of the Registrar General and will now oversee all company registration and intellectual property services under one semi-autonomous body.

Speaking at the event, Mhango described the launch as a significant milestone in Malawi’s ongoing public sector reform agenda and a crucial step toward modernizing business services.

“CRIPC has been established as a semi-autonomous agency with legal personality and a measure of functional and financial autonomy in order to make it, as an enabler of business activity, more effective and efficient in delivering services to the nation,” said Mhango.

The reform process began in 2019 under the Public Sector Reforms Programme introduced by former President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, with the goal of improving public service delivery and creating a more investor-friendly environment.

One of the major achievements under the reform initiative has been the introduction of the Malawi Business Registration System (MBRS), a digital platform that enables businesses to register companies and manage records online without physically visiting government offices.

Mhango, however, acknowledged that despite progress in digitalisation, several operational challenges still remain.

He cited poor office infrastructure, particularly at the Mzuzu Regional Office, high staff vacancy levels, and delays in processing applications that continue to affect service delivery and fall below the standards outlined in the customer service charter.

The minister also raised concern over what he described as unprofessional conduct among some officers, including habitual late reporting for work, which he said continues to undermine reform efforts.

“Old habits die hard. These stubborn legacy attitudes, poor work ethic, and other forms of unprofessionalism result in inefficiencies that not only frustrate clients, but also undermine investments in reform and retard economic growth and development,” Mhango said.

He stressed that the launch of CRIPC now places responsibility on the institution’s board, management, and staff to deliver measurable improvements and restore public confidence in government services.

Mhango urged employees at the new agency to embrace professionalism, integrity, innovation, and excellence in order to build trust among investors, entrepreneurs, and the general public.

In another major development, the minister announced that effective 1 June 2026, applications for Stamp Duty and Estate Duty services will also migrate to online platforms.

According to Mhango, the move is expected to improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and boost government revenue collection through improved systems management.

The reforms have received support from the World Bank, whose representative Eva Maria Melis attended the launch ceremony and delivered remarks.

Mhango thanked the World Bank for supporting Malawi’s efforts to improve the ease of doing business and modernize the country’s secured transactions framework.

The minister also recognized Chief Secretary to the Government Dr. Justin Adack Saidi and Solicitor General Gertrude Lynn Hiwa, SC, for their roles in driving the transformation process.

Hiwa was particularly credited for drafting the initial legislation that later became the Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre Act.

Government officials say CRIPC will play a central role in promoting industrialisation, protecting innovation and creativity, supporting the growth of the creative economy, and advancing Malawi’s long-term development ambitions under the Malawi 2063 agenda.