Uganda - Apply for Money Lending Licence

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Procedure

1. Any person wishing to lend money must acquire a Money Lending license from Uganda Microfinance regulatory Authority (UMRA) by submitting its incorporation documents, the particulars of its directors and secretary and paying the requisite fee.
2. The Applicant shall make an application by filling form 1 submit the same to Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority,attach all the required documents.An application shall be accompanied by the following requirements:—
   • a certificate of incorporation;
   • forms of particulars of directors and secretary;
   • particulars of the address;
   • copies of national identity cards for directors and the secretary; and
   • Evidence of payment of the fees prescribed in schedule 1 to these Regulations.
3. The Applicant shall submit written application to the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority requesting for a money lending Licence.
4. The Authority on receiving the application shall carry out a due diligence on the directors and other persons to be involved in the management of the business and shall—
   • if satisfied that the directors and the management of the money lender are fit to carry on the business of money lending, issue a notice of no objection to the change in management and directors;
5. The Authority shall consider an application and inform the applicant of its decision within three months after the application has been lodged with it;except that where the Authority requests for more information,the period of three months shall be calculated from the time that the additional information is submitted to the Authority.
6. The Authority may,on an application duly made and after being furnished with all information as it may require,grant a license or reject the application.
7. In determining whether to grant a licence or reject an application the Authority may take into account the fitness and propriety of any person who is or will be employed by or associated with the applicant for the purposes of carrying on the money lending business.

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Required Documents

• a certificate of incorporation;
• forms of particulars of directors and secretary;
• particulars of the address;
• copies of national identity cards for directors and the secretary; and
• Evidence of payment of the fees prescribed.

Office Locations & Contacts

Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority - HEAD OFFICE,
Physical Address: Rwenzori Towers, Block B
Ground Floor, Plot 6 Nakasero Road
Postal Address: P.O Box 11545
Kampala , Uganda
Call: 256 417 799 700
Toll - free: 0800 111 449
Email Us: [email protected] / [email protected]
Website: LInk

Bank of Uganda - HEAD OFFICE,
Physical Address:Plot 37/45
Kampala Road
Kampala, Uganda
Postal Address: P.O Box 7120,
Kampala, Uganda
Telex: 61059
Telephone numbers: +256-414-258-441/6
Fax: + 256-41-4230878 , +256-41-4233818
Email: [email protected]
Website: Link

Eligibility

• Any person is eligible to begin a Business of Money lending in Uganda
• This application allows a person to operate a money lending business in Uganda.
• In Uganda no person shall, operate a money Lending Business in Uganda unless authorized by the Uganda Microfinance regulatory Authority

Fees

• Certification fees: 20,000Ugshs.
• Licence Application Money lender: 50,000 Ugshs Non refundable
• Annual License Fee: 500,000 Ugshs
• Application for a search of the register 25,000Ugshs.
• Certificate fees 20,000 Ugshs.
• Inspection and registration of additional places 300,000 Ugshs.
• For More information on the charges Visit this Link:Bank charges

Validity

A licence issued to the money lender is valid until 31st December in every year and may be renewed annually.

Documents to Use

Application Form

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

Processing takes 3 months to Six Months.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos usinProcessing takes 3 months to Six Monthsg the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• This Licence is not transferable or assignable.
• The Licensee shall not carry on the money lending business under more than one name;
• Licensee shall surrender the licence where requested by the Authority.
• Once issued, the licence must be displayed at all premises in which the money lender transacts money lending business.
• A money lender shall not change its management except with the written authorisation of the Authority.
• A licensee shall give written notice to the Authority on the occurrence or alteration of any event which affects or may affect in any material respect, any matter in respect of which the licensee has supplied or was required to supply information to the Authority in the course of his or her application for the licence.

Required Information

• Name of the Money Lending Company/ Institution.
• Date of incorporation.
• Company registration number.
• Registered physical and postal address of the applicant
• Area where money lending business will be
• Particulars of directors and physical address
• Particulars of Secretary
• Principal office of the money lending business.

Need for the Document

Please provide the need for the procedure. e.g. Birth Certificate - why do we need to have a birth certificate? 
 

Information which might help

• The Regulations require money lenders to maintain a physical address and maintain and retain records relating to their business for a period of 10 years.
• Money lenders are required to display interest rate charges at all times in a conspicuous place at their premises and maintain proper books of account, including a register of securities and debtors.
• UMRA is also required to keep a register of all money lenders which can be inspected by members of the public at a fee.
• The Regulations require UMRA to evaluate the fitness and propriety of the management and board of a money lender and of any person who will be employed by or associated with the money lender.
• Any change in the directorship or other management of a money lender must be authorized by UMRA.
• The Regulations provide that a money lender may not demand the following documents as collateral for money advanced: IDs or passports, ATM cards or security codes for ATM cards or deposit account books or any instrument of transfer of property or assets signed prior to the disbursement of the loan.
• In addition, where a money lending transaction is disguised as a sale or transfer of property, such a transaction is liable to nullification by the court and may result in revocation of the money lender’s licence.
• A money lender cannot dispose of collateral unless 60 days have lapsed since a demand for payment was made on the borrower.
• A money lender has an obligation to sell the collateral for not less than its forced sale value unless he is unable to do so in the first two attempts at the sale.
• The Regulations also provide for the waterfall of payment upon sale of collateral akin to the waterfall prescribed for a sale of mortgaged land.
• The Regulations provide that a borrower may deposit any sum in repayment with UMRA in circumstances where the money lender refuses to accept such sum or where it is impracticable for the borrower to find the money lender in order to make the payment.
• This provision will hopefully cure the vice of money lenders frustrating repayment of a loan by the borrower in order to extract additional interest or in an effort to sell the borrower’s collateral.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• External Link 1.
• External Link 2

Others

• A streamlined and structured money lending practice will no doubt create a safer and more conducive environment for money lenders to practice their trade and for borrowers to obtain credit. However, given that money lending is meant to provide affordable loans to the low income segment of the population as an alternative to conventional institutional lending, it is critical that the Government find the right balance between creating a safe and conducive environment for money lending and reining in on rogue and unscrupulous money lending practices. Over-regulation could be defeatist as it could potentially increase the cost of providing credit thereby rendering the business uncompetitive and spurring non-compliance by money lenders.
• While the enactment of the Regulations is a welcome development, it remains to be seen whether the Government has invested the resources and created the structures necessary to follow through on the enforcement of the Regulations and the Act. Uganda is not lacking in good laws. The devil is always in their enforcement.