A large backlog of unfinished filings on the Business Portal has prompted the Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade to impose a 14-day deadline for applicants to complete pending procedures and payments, as it moves to clear inactive submissions from the system.
The ministry said more than 12,000 applications remain incomplete, with several filings still awaiting procedural steps or fee payments. Speaking on PSM News programme Raajje Miadhu, Yoosuf Naeem, strategy and registry service consultant at the ministry, said around 12,500 incomplete applications are currently recorded on the portal.
The directive was published in the Government Gazette on 2 July. Applicants have until 2:00 p.m. on 16 July to finalise their submissions. Once the deadline passes, completed applications will be processed, while those that remain incomplete will be cancelled from the portal.
The ministry has advised applicants who have reserved business names to complete their filings within the given period. Yoosuf said applicants whose submissions are cancelled may not be able to secure the same business name if they apply again later.
The move is part of a wider effort to improve the handling of applications submitted through the Business Portal. According to the ministry, upcoming technological changes will make the review process more efficient by notifying applicants of all issues that need to be corrected.
Under the updated process, applicants will receive a notification if any step requires correction. If the issue is not addressed within three days, the system will automatically cancel the application.
The ministry said the automated process is expected to reduce backlogs and improve the quality of services provided to the public.
