A new mobile app, dubbed Doing Biz, is set to reduce the period of time entrepreneurs take to register businesses in Kenya.
Steve Mutinda, the app’s lead developer, said Doing Biz comes with features set to upset the trend. This follows World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report that stated it takes an average of 33 days to register a business in the country.
Available in the Nokia Ovi store,the free app has seven sections including the Start a Business, Investment Opportunities, Trading across borders, Registering Property and Opening a Kenyan Branch.
The app is the first of its kind in the country and takes users through business name selection, registration and management. It in addition offers a user an estimated cost of setting up the business.
Mutinda told HumanIPO the app also enables the users apply for PIN and VAT certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority, and registers them with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
The app’s investment opportunity section displays lucrative investment opportunities with the country by sector. It also includes guidelines on property purchase and registration in Kenya.
The trading across borders section offers reliable information on custom fees, documentation and steps needed for traders in markets outside Kenya. Meanwhile the opening a Kenyan branch section has information necessary for international traders to set up a branch in the country.
Mutinda told HumanIPO the app has in mind the tech savvy youth and business people who value time and those who are not aware of the stages of business registration in the country. Kenya has over 26million people with mobile phones and this innovation is set to be a turnaround for many young business people.
“Young people are looking for ways to turn their passions into profits. Unfortunately, many of them do not have the skills or the information to do so,” continued Mutinda.
Shimba technologies, the app’s developer, also created Tuvitu , Med Africa, CDF Monitor among others.
