Seventy per cent of business registration transactions routed through Emirates Post and Empost in 2005

The DED conducted around 71,393 transactions in the first nine months of this year, including registration of new licences, renewals, amendments and cancellations. A total of 49,853 transactions comprising about 70 per cent of the total were routed through Emirates Post and Empost.

Emirates Post alone was responsible for handling 21,108 transactions which comprises around 30 per cent of the total transactions conducted by the DED in the same period, according to the Business Registration Division at the Department. In addition, a total of 28,461 trade licence renewals were directed through Empost in the period from January to September 2005.

"The DED launched business registration procedures through Emirates Post with the objective of providing value-added services to investors," said Noura Juma, Director of Business Registration at DED.

"In the last nine months, we have successfully managed to route around 70 percent of the total transactions through Emirates Post and Empost and now deal directly with only 30 per cent of business registration cases at the DED,"

she added.

"The service through Emirates Post has proved to be mutually beneficial to both our clients and the DED," said Noura Juma. "Customers with trouble-free applications do not need to make repeated visits to the Department, thereby considerably reducing people throughput. Customers filing completed applications usually receive their payment vouchers within two days of applying, probably the shortest time for business registration in the region. On our part, with a significant number of applications being routed through Emirates Post, we are able to provide better services to clients with more complicated business registration issues," she added.

The service enables investors to conduct their trade license registration procedures through the post offices in Dubai. Investors can route their applications for processing of new trade licenses, making amendments to existing licenses and canceling existing licenses through the Emirates Post offices in Dubai, without actually visiting the DED offices. In addition, investors can pay the renewal fees at Emirates Post offices in Dubai to receive their trade license.

Investors must enclose completed forms and necessary documents in specially designated envelopes, available at the post offices for a fee of AED10. Emirates Post will be responsible for the delivery of the relevant documents to the DED and collection and delivery of the processed trade license to the investor. Fees for the business registration and trade license processing will also be collected at the post office in accordance to the directions from the DED.

This service is available through the Emirates Post automated offices in Dubai in the following areas - Dubai Central, Jebel Ali, Al Quoz, Jumairah, Satwa, Trade Center, Al Khor, Al Thanaweyah, Riqqa, Abu Hail, Al Towar, Al Qusais, Al Ramool, DNATA, Al Ras, Al Rashidya, Al Musalla, Hor Al Anz, Deira Main Post Office, Free Zone, Cargo Village, Beach Post Office, Al Aweer and the Convention Center.