Uganda - How to Register a Cooperative Society

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Procedure

The processes of registering a cooperative is as below:

Step 1:

Reserve a name, with the registrar of business names with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB)

Step 2:

Purchase Sacco by-law books from the department of cooperatives. The by-laws vary depending on whether the cooperative is a Sacco, or a multi-purpose cooperative;

Step 3:

Fill the by-laws with names and contact details of the promoters, who should number at least 30;

Step 4:

Fill the by-laws with the details of shares amounts, displinary fees, business address, and related issues on management of the cooperative;

Step 5:

Submit documents to the district Commercial Officer (DCO) branch officers or area cooperatives societies’ office for approval. This includes signed by-laws by all members and incase the members are more than the space provided in the by-laws, attach the full member list; financial statements of the society (Income and Expenditure +Balance Sheet); a comprehensive schedule of all shareholders showing shares held by each member; entrance fees, shares, savings, and loans if any; and photographs of respective people to handle the cooperative’s accounts, that is, Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Step 6:

On approval of documents, which may include the cooperatives officer attending a meeting of the cooperative, the cooperative will pay registration fees.

Step 7:

Get a certificate of registration of the Sacco.  With this certificate, the cooperative should open a bank an account, and deposit the funds you have to the bank account; get a business license from the city council authority, or local government authority; and start active recruitment of members.

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Required Documents

• Bye laws of the cooperative
• Interim operation report;
• Schedule of paid up membership fees,
• Schedule of shares;
• Schedule of savings if any;
• Cooperatives financial statements;
• Recommendation from District Commercial Officer (DCO)
• Passport photographs (in cases of opening up a bank account)

Office Locations & Contacts

The Registrar of cooperative societies
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives,
Room 608, Floor 6, Farmers House,
Parliament Avenue,
Po Box 7103 Kampala,
Website: Ministry of Trade Industry and cooperatives
Tel: 0312 324 000/+256-312 324 268/230
Alt: 0414 230 916 Uganda

Uganda Registration Services Bureau
Plot 5 George Street, Georgian House
P.O.Box 6848 Kampala Uganda 
URSB General Line: +256 414 233 219 
Registrar General: +256 414 235 915
Fax: fax Line: +256 414 250 712
E-mail : [email protected] 
Website: Uganda registration services

Other branches
Kampala
Posta Uganda Main office,
Kampala Road Booth 2 & 3.
UIA Offices, Twed Plaza
(1st Floor) Lumumba Avenue.
Nakivubo – Sekaziga House Floor 1, Nakivubo mews.
Mbale – Plot 3, Park Crescent.

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
Mbarara– Plot 1, Kamukuzi Hill
Gulu – Plot 6B Princess Road
Arua – Plot 42/44 Packwach road

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)
P.O BOX 7279
KAMPALA(U)
TEL: 0417-442054
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.ura.go.ug

Eligibility

• In order to be eligible, a society must have a sole aim of promoting economic and social interests of its members in accordance with cooperative principles and should be capable of promoting those interests.

Fees

• Registration fee shs 50000/= Account No. 6000010330 Barclays Bank IPS Branch Account
• Buy Co-operative Bye laws. A set of 4(four) books is:

Shs.15000/= for savings & Credit byelaws

Shs. 10000/=for multi-purpose bye laws

Business name registration and reserve fees

Company/business name search registration fees ug.x2, 200

Reservation of the name fees ugx.20, 000.

Validity

• The document is Valid for a period of 3 years

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• Processing takes 30 working days

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
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Instructions

1. Members should be twelve (12) years and above;
2. Ensure that all members pay membership fees and deposit their share capital before applying for registration;
3. The membership fees and share capital to be contributed should be determined basing on the members of the society intending to register;
4. Before applying for registration, know the type of society you would like to register.
5. Ensure that the society meets the minimum numbers required for registration;
6. Must be ready to join the Uganda Cooperative Alliance Ltd as it is the apex body for all registered cooperative societies;
7. Ensure that the cooperative society to be registered function under specified principles of societies in Uganda;
8. Recommendations by the District Commercial Officer (DCO) are based on interim operation reports of cooperatives;
9. Cooperative members are advised to open up a bank account for the cooperative during the process of registration;
10. A bank account must have at least three (3) signatories;

Required Information

• Names of Applicants / members of the cooperative society to be registered
• Contact addresses of Applicants / members of the cooperative society to be registered;
• Nationality, sex, age and marital status of each member;
• Proposed name of society;
• Proposed activities of society;
• Office location and contact address of society;

Need for the Document

• The main purpose of a Co-operative Society is to provide service to its members. For example, in a Consumer Co- operative Store, goods are sold to its members at a reasonable price by retaining a small margin of profit. It also provides better quality goods to its members and the general public.

Information which might help

• If need arises, the registrar may decided to cancel registration of a society at any period of time and the cancellation is published in at least one of the English newspapers in Uganda.
  
• If a certificate is lost or destroyed, an application for a duplicate certificate must be sent to the registrar.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

• A cooperative is officially recognized by the government;
• Creation of job opportunities to the people in the society;
• The cooperative is safe guarded by local government if registered, for instance no one can use the cooperatives name;
• A registered cooperative has some legal liability protection. Thus, it may be easier to obtain business insurance, or attract investors.
• A registered cooperation has benefit of continuity for instance even when the founders pass away it can still operate.

External Links

ministry of Trade and industry cooperatives
cooperative society

Others

The cooperatives are formed to secure low cost credit, to purchase supplies and equipment for farming and household needs, to market products, even to secure many services, like electric power, irrigation, health, and insurance. Co-operatives can be used in many ways to benefit people in the everyday needs of life.

Among societies are primary, secondary, tertiary and apex societies.

• A primary society must consists of at least thirty (30) qualified members of a society
• Secondary societies have at least two (2) registered primary societies among its members;
• A tertiary and an apex society have at least two (2) registered secondary societies among its members.
• Registration of societies in Uganda is done by the Registrar of cooperative societies in the registry office under the ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC).