The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) has launched an online name reservation platform, enabling individuals, investors and intermediaries to access the service from anywhere in the world using a phone or computer.

The platform is intended to simplify access to BIPA's services by reducing queues, travel expenses and the time spent visiting its offices, while promoting a more efficient business environment.

Ruusa Ntinda is BIPA's Legal, Risk and Compliance Executive.

"The platform does not take away from the services provided by intermediaries. Clients can still choose to use a service provider, or they can complete the process themselves. It gives individuals the opportunity to take ownership of their applications and the decisions they make."

BIPA says the introduction of the digital service follows concerns raised by members of the public, investors and service providers about long queues, travel requirements and delays in obtaining documents.

"We received an outcry from the public, investors and service providers. We needed to find a way to improve the ease of doing business. As generations move towards digital services, we must keep up and make our services more accessible."

While the platform is expected to make the process more convenient, BIPA acknowledges that some users may face difficulties as they familiarise themselves with the new system.

"We understand that this is a learning process for both users and implementers. Anyone experiencing challenges can email us at info@bipa.na or contact our call centre for assistance."

BIPA intends to expand its digital services, with the goal of processing applications within minutes or hours instead of days; however, adoption of the platform remains slow, although the number of daily users is gradually increasing.

As the authority advances its digital transformation, raising public awareness and encouraging greater use of the platform will be key to its success. The broader objective is to make business registration services faster, more accessible and less costly for Namibians.