CDH Investment Bank Chief Legal Officer/Company Secretary, Daniel Mwangwela (left) hands over the sponsorship symbolic funds to CRIPC’s Deputy Registrar General, Chifwayi Chirambo
* Underscoring the bank’s commitment to fostering economic development in Malawi and enhancing access to vital services for businesses
* The contribution is aimed at bolstering the agency’s efforts in providing a robust registration system, which is crucial for the formalisation of businesses across Malawi
By Duncan Mlanjira
CDH Investment Bank (CDHIB) has invested K10 million in solidarity towards the official launch of Companies Registrations & Intellectual Property Centre — a government department under the Ministry of Justice & Constitutional Affairs responsible for the registration and administration of business entities, non profit organisations and industrial property rights.
Advertisement
CDHIB describes the partnership as a momentous occasion of celebrating innovation and economic growth, which underscores the bank’s “commitment to fostering economic development in Malawi and enhancing access to vital services for businesses”.
“This contribution is aimed at bolstering the agency’s efforts in providing a robust registration system, which is crucial for the formalisation of businesses across Malawi,” said CDHIB’s Chief Legal Officer/Company Secretary, Daniel Mwangwela at the handover of the sponsorship on Monday in Blantyre.
“CDH Investment Bank is honoured to partner with the Companies Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre as they transition from the Department of Registrar General to a more specialised agency as a key stakeholder for the bank.
“The agency is set to improve the delivery of essential services, which will, in turn, support innovation, support job creation, enhance creativity with the registration of trademarks, patents and copyrights, and support business growth in our nation.”
In his vote of thanks, Deputy Registrar General-Intellectual Property, Chifwayi Chirambo maintained that the official launch of the agency will provide a platform for stakeholder sensitisation on the transformation of Department of Registrar General to CRIPC.
He shared that the successor agency will offer excellence in-service delivery through its enhanced solutions for all stakeholders, such as its new website and online services portal to support business growth which will support the attainment of MW2063 national vision.
“By promoting formalisation, CRIPC can significantly drive economic growth and job creation, contributing to a healthier market landscape,” he said of the semi-autonomous agency, whose establishment was announced in April 2025 to oversee business registration, intellectual property rights and commercial regulation in a move aimed at modernising local regulatory framework and improving service delivery.
The Companies, Registrations, and Intellectual Property Centre, established under the Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre Act of 2025, takes over the functions of the Department of the Registrar General and operate as a stand-alone legal entity.
In addition the department, whose offices are in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, is also responsible for the assessment and collection of non-tax revenue such as stamp duty, whose core objectives is toimprove efficiency in business registration and compliance; enhance accessibility of public registry services; and promote transparency and accountability.
Advertisement
Strategies include:
* Improvement of registration, storage, retrieval, management and dissemination of information through the use of modern automated database solutions;
* Promoting and supporting the harmonisation of domestic and international law, procedure and practice in order to enhance participation in global trade markets and attract foreign direct investment and technology inflows into the country; and
* Promote the awareness and utilisation of, as well as respect for Industrial Property Rights in order to stimulate technological innovation and development and enhance Malawian industry and commerce through the implementation of National IP Policy.
According to the Act, the centre will register companies, businesses and trusts, administer collateral registries and insolvencies, and oversee copyright and intellectual property rights.
It will also promote efficiency in terms of revenue collection since it ranks second or third in terms of revenue collection after the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) — thus having its own board will make it operate more efficiently.
Advertisement