Companies Act 2007 · As enacted · Part I · Incorporation of Companies and Related Matters Essential Characteristics of Companies
7. Restrictions on names
Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
A company shall not be registered by a name which—
is identical with the name of any other company or of any registered overseas company ;
contains the words “Chamber of Commerce”, unless the company is a company which is to be registered under a licence granted under section 34 without the addition of the word “Limited” to its name ; or
is in the opinion of the Registrar, misleading.
Except with the consent of the Minister given having regard to the national interest, no company shall be registered by a name which contains the words :—
“President”, “Presidential” or other words which in the opinion of the Registrar suggest or are calculated to suggest, the patronage of the President or connection with the Government or any Government
Department ;
“Municipal”, “incorporated” or other words which in the opinion of the Registrar suggest or are calculated to suggest, connection with any
Municipality or other local authority or with any society or body incorporated by an Act of
Parliament ;
“Co-operative” or “Society” ; or
“National”, “State” or “Sri Lanka” or other words which in the opinion of the Registrar suggest or are calculated to suggest, any connection with the
Government or any Government Department.
In determining for the purposes of subsection (1)
whether one name is identical with another, the following words shall be disregarded :—
the word “the”, where it is the first word of the name ;
the following words and expressions, where they appear at the end of the name :
“company” ;
“and company” ;
“company limited” ;
“and company limited” ;
“limited” ;
“unlimited” ;
“(Private) limited” ;
“Public Limited Company” ;
abbreviations referred to in section 6, where they appear at the end of the name ;
type and case of letters, accents, spaces between letters and punctuation marks ; and
“and” or “&”.
Part II
Private Companies
Part III
Companies Limited by Guarantee
Part IV
Shares and Debentures Prospectus
Part V
Shareholders and Their Rights and Obligations
Part VI
Registration of Charges Registration of Charges with Registrar
Part VII
Management and Administration Registered Office
Part VIII
Amalgamations
Part IX
Compromises with Creditors
Part X
Approval of Arrangements, Amalgamations, and Compromises by Court
Part XI
Provisions Relating to Offshore Companies
Part XII
Winding Up
Part XIII
Administrators Appointment of Administrator
Part XIV
Floating Charges
Part XV
Receivers and Managers
Part XVI
Registrar-General of Companies and Registration Appointment of Officers
Part XVII
Application of Act to Existing Companies
Part XVIII
Overseas Companies
Part XIX
Advisory Commission
Part XX
Companies Disputes Board
Part XXI
Offences Miscellaneous Offences
Part XXII
Miscellaneous Prohibition of Partnership with More Than Twenty Members
Part XXIII