dcfs.gov.jm Registration, Cancellation of Society : Jamaica

Organization : Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies
Facility : Registration, Cancellation of Society
Country : Jamaica
Website : http://dcfs.gov.jm/services.html#registration

1. Registration of Society :

The suspension of registration may not exceed a term of three months from time to time, and may be extended for additional periods not exceeding three months.

Related : Licensing & Registration of Fisher Jamaica : www.statusin.org/28815.html

During the suspension period, the society will cease to enjoy all rights and privileges of a registered society; the society, however, will still be required to honour its liability, whether civil or criminally incurred.

After holding an inquiry or making an inspection, the Registrar may suspend a society’s registration upon the determination that (a) the society’s funds are inefficient to meet existing claims or obligations, and/or (c) by voluntary request/application from no less than three-fourths of the registered members.

Amalgamation via Merger or Transfer of Engagement :
The Amalgamation process for Co-operative Societies and Friendly Societies are similar and are guided by Section 53 and Section 47 of the Acts respectively.

These provisions allow for two (2) main types of Amalgamation – mergers and transfer of engagement.
(i) Mergers – occurs whereby any two or more Societies combine, without dissolution or division, to become a new Society (the Amalgamated Society).

All the funds and property of the Societies engaged in the process become vested in the new Society. All members of the merging Societies also automatically remain members of the Amalgamated Society.

In the process, the merging societies would cease to exist as legal entities. The new Society formed by the process will acquire a new name, new registration, new Rules, new Board of Directors and the other necessary Statutory Committee(s).

(ii) Transfer of Engagements – occurs whereby a Society (Transferor) transfers all of its engagements and members to another Society (Transferee), which may undertake to fulfil the engagements of the Transferor.

The Society that would be transferred would cease to exist and the Society that would have accepted the engagements would continue in its own name and as a legal entity.

2. Cancellation of Registration :
Under the Co-operative Societies Act, the Registrar may cancel the registration of a society upon notice/application from at least three—fourths the membership of the society or where there is sufficient evidence that the membership is less than ten (10).

Cancellation of the registration under the Friendly Society will arise where the Registrar is satisfied that the membership has been reduced to less than twenty-one (21), and this cancellation will take immediate effect.

This membership may also opt for voluntary dissolution upon submission to the Registrar via application made by three-fourths of the members of any society registered under the Friendly Societies Act.

Cancellation may also occur where the society has breached several sections of the applicable Act, and response adversely towards the directives of the Registrar in an effort to bring about compliance.

About Us :
The Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies (DCFS), an agency within the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, continues its relentless pursuit of social equity and unity of purpose, which embrace the core values of decency, civility and co-operation.

This is accomplished through its role in overseeing the functions of more than 688 entities (consisting of 517 Industrial and Provident Societies, 158 Co-operative Societies, and 442 Societies registered under the Friendly Societies Act) that has been pivotal in allowing Jamaicans the opportunity to combat poverty and improve their standard of living.

Its activities have set solid foundations for meaningful change and sustained growth in many sectors of the economy.