Saddam: Amnesty for companies to file documents

MINISTER of Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein announced an amnesty for companies which have not yet filed their post-incorporation documents, addressing a post-Cabinet briefing on June 12 at the Red House, Port of Spain.

"So we will have a waiver of penalties for late filing which will be published by legal notice from the period January 31 to September 15."

"It will be an amnesty that operates retroactively." He said Cabinet had earlier approved the amnesty.

Noting the digitisation of the Companies Registry in line with TT's obligations under the FATF and Global Forum treaties, he said companies had filed 87,835 post-incorporation documents there, from January 1, 2023 to May 26, 2025. He said an audit done on May 16 at the Companies Register had shown 27,649 companies were in default of the Companies Act by failing to submit annual returns for more than three years. Further, he said the registrar-general had struck off 46,671 companies for failing to file annual returns.

Hosein said the amnesty will now give companies which wish to remain active to fulfil their obligations without incurring late-filing penalties. He said the amnesty will also let struck out companies be restored to the companies registrar. Hosein said not only private companies have been struck off, but also public companies had been non-compliant under the Companies Act.

He said the Law Association had written to him and that the Government was caring and would listen to suggestions.

Saying people have had problems with online filing during this amnesty period, Hosein said the ministry would offer an over-the-counter system.

He named State companies – where the shareholder was Corporation Sole (Minister of Finance) – that were struck out as the National Marine and Maintenance Co Ltd and Tourism Trinidad Ltd.

Hosein then named state companies that had not filed and were in breach of the law. These were: Alutrint, EMBDC, eTeck, Export TT, Golden Grove Buccoo Ltd, Invest TT, National Commission for Self Help, National Helicopter Services Ltd, National ICT Co Ltd, Nidco, National Investment Fund Holding Company Ltd, PSAEL, Rural Development Company, CMMF Ltd, TT Creative Industries Ltd, TT Freezones Co Ltd, TTMF Ltd, and TTT. "These are all companies that have not filed their annual returns within the prescrived period of the law."