Investors trying to set up their businesses in Qatar will soon find it much easier to do so when the Single Window System will go online by the second quarter of this year.
The government-initiative Single Window service centre located at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry building was launched in 2016 on a pilot phase where it has linked 21 government and semi-government entities related to the application of trade licenses under one roof.
In an interview with The Peninsula, an official from the Single Window System said the platform will soon be automated and will feature an electronic approval portal. “With the new platform we’ll launch, you don’t have to come.
“You can do it from anywhere in the world. Submit the documents, start the application, and get all the necessary approvals signed with the digital signature. Verifications will happen simultaneously from all relevant authorities online.
“And then investors can pay in a single payment instead of actually using multiple payments to various entities. For some companies, instead of getting a company registration in 30 days with multiple visits to various entities, the Single Window will reduce that to almost a single working day by automation,” he added.
According to the official, investors will also be able to manage their companies through a dashboard provided by the portal. Investors can use the portal to apply and renew visas for their employees and be updated of any warnings or violations by the company.
He also said, “On top of that, there will be some value added services, which range between opening a bank account for your company straight from the Single Window. If you wish to have the PO Box, and other communication services from either Ooredoo or Vodafone, you can do it all through the Single Window system. Investors can also pay their bills including filing their tax returns through the system”.
The official noted that investors will also be notified if there are any changes in the laws relevant to their businesses. He added, “Also, sometimes, especially in the past, regulations keep on changing. Certain internal regulations such as internal requirements of entities will impact services and approvals of other entities.
“Single Window will assess the impact of any kind of changes in the requirements or procedures, and will simplify it as much as possible. It will be a platform for the government to address the investors and let them know about the new initiatives, new incentives, or changes in government regulations”.
According to the official, the automated system will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be made available to those establishing new businesses in Qatar. The second phase, which will be implemented later this year, will involve investors making changes to their companies such as selling or closing their businesses, removing partners, adding new signatories and activities, and updating their contact information.
The service centre which has been operating manually since its launch, has received over 4,000 investor applications for setting up their businesses here in 2018. Over 1,000 investors have also used the centre to open their businesses from the beginning of this year.
