Global Updates on Registry Modernisation, Transparency and Leadership
December saw Australia press ahead with Director ID and RegistryConnect reform, fresh moves to protect directors' addresses in Ireland, and a run of registry-modernisation launches from Rwanda to a Shanghai–Singapore cross-border service. New leadership was confirmed at MBIE and Samoa's MCIL. Here is our round-up of the month's corporate-registry news.
Here are this month’s highlights:
- Australia: Consultation opens on Director ID and registry stabilisation
Treasury released exposure-draft legislation (the Business Registries Stabilisation and Uplift Bill 2025) and opened consultation, advancing the Registry Connect program and the long-promised linking of Director IDs to the companies register.
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- Australia: ASIC sets out its Registry Connect priorities
In a keynote, ASIC detailed the next phase of Registry Connect improved online lodgement, an enhanced companies-register search, stronger authentication and, finally, linking director IDs to the register.
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- Ireland: Companies register could drop directors' home addresses
Amid reports of threats against executives, Ireland signalled it may let directors use a contact address instead of their residential address on the CRO register, echoing moves in the UK, NZ and France.
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- Isle of Man: Bill proposed to reform the beneficial-ownership register
The Isle of Man brought forward legislation to reform its beneficial-ownership register, part of a broader Crown Dependencies re-think on ownership transparency and access.
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- Singapore & China: Shanghai–Singapore launch cross-border online registration
A fully online business-registration service built on the Shanghai; Singapore cross-border digital-trust framework went live, pointing to a future of interoperable, cross-jurisdiction incorporation.
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- New Zealand: Nic Blakeley appointed Chief Executive of MBIE
The Public Service Commission named Nic Blakeley as Secretary for Economic Growth and Chief Executive of MBIE, the ministry that houses New Zealand's Companies Office and business registers.
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- New Zealand: Clubs and societies warned as re-registration deadline nears
With fewer than half of the country's incorporated societies re-registered under new legislation, officials warned that clubs, charities and sports bodies risk dissolution if they miss the deadline.
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- Samoa: Fepulea'i Roger Toleafoa appointed MCIL Chief Executive
Cabinet approved the appointment of Fepulea'i Roger Toleafoa as Chief Executive of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour, which oversees Samoa's business registry functions.
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- Rwanda: Business registration to go fully online
The Rwanda Development Board announced a consolidated One Stop Center' portal to move the country's business-registration process fully online.
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- Nevis: Companies Registry strengthens its online system
The Nevis Companies Registry ran training to bolster digital service delivery through its online companies-registry system.
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- New Zealand: NZBN takes a greater role in digitalisation
The New Zealand Business Number is being positioned as a larger pillar of government digitalisation, reinforcing the register-as-source-of-truth model.
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Stay updated by visiting often our "Registry News Weekly" summary and the Foster Moore blog for more insights on these stories and other key registry news.
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