Despite assurances of streamlined online services for company registration and other related issues, entrepreneurs continue to face significant delays and overcrowding at the Office of the Company Registrar.
The government had launched the Company Administration Management Information System (CAMIS) on March 3, 2025, promising end-to-end digital processing of company registrations, renewals, share transfers, and cancellations, eliminating the need for physical office visits. However, in practice, users still flock to the Registrar’s Office to complete tasks like credential resets and other works.
Over the past month, a healthcare entrepreneur from Bhaktapur has visited the Tripureshwor-based Registrar’s Office daily to update share allotments and change his company’s registered address. “I’ve been here since 11 a.m. The office staff keep saying the work will be done but the work isn’t finished yet,” he said. Despite submitting all required documents, he remains unable to secure the approvals he needs. With the fiscal year 2024/25’s end approaching, he fears incurring fines imposed by local municipalities.
Similarly, Kamal Baral, proprietor of Sera Japan Pvt. Ltd. in Birauta, Pokhara, came to Kathmandu on Saturday expecting to reset username and password for his export business by Sunday. Instead, he spent the whole day waiting. Even routine tasks that should take minutes are dragging into hours, contributing to overcrowding at the Registrar’s Office as the deadline nears.
Attorneys handling company matters, like Sandeep Kumar Shahi, report that the CAMIS online system has introduced unnecessary complexity.
“Previously, you could submit ten years’ worth of documents in a single application. But now, they go in ten different sections, with separate fees for each year,” he explained, noting that this has led to repeated visits by clients from places far away from the capital.
In one instance, a representative of Rautahat-based Omatara Construction & Suppliers Pvt. Ltd. waited five hours for a work that should have taken five minutes.
With the fiscal year-end fast approaching, the last-minute rush has overwhelmed the system. Physical overcrowding, frequent slowdowns, and confusion over which branch handles specific procedures have become typical daily frustrations.
Registrar Ishwar Kumar Giri acknowledged the bottleneck: “The software, linked with national ID and tax department databases, was unable to handle high volumes between July 2-8, but it resumed function on July 9. While technical service has been restored, the volume of users continues to strain the system.” He added that the office has since opened branches specifically for credential resets and is prioritizing training staff and company officials to fully utilize CAMIS, thus, reducing unnecessary intermediaries.
Yet users remain skeptical. Many complain of lack of clarity about which branch handles which tasks, non-operational counters as early as 11 a.m., and the absence of token or queue systems to manage the swelling crowds.
The Registrar’s Office also recently ended its fee-waiver scheme that exempted 90 percent of cancellation fines, effective by mid-July. That deadline prompted a recent surge of company proprietors and consultants seeking to submit, renew, or cancel registrations, further pushing the CAMIS system beyond its capacity. Giri stated that improvements are underway, but user experiences suggest the transition from manual to fully digital remains rocky and incomplete, undermining the system’s intended convenience and efficiency.
