Blantyre business owners asked to renew licences
Blantyre City Council says it will from April 1 2022 close businesses operating without licences.
In a statement issued on Monday, signed by the council’s director of commerce, industry and trade Dennis Chinseu, the council says all the 2021/22 business licences will expire on March 31 next week.
He said the expiry of licences follow the change of government’s financial year from July-June to April-March. The council is expected to issue new licences to about 7 800 businesses in the 2022/23 financial year.
Reads the statement in part: “Business licencing activities are done frequently to achieve the following objectives; check on illegal businesses / trading activities, check on compliance with various legal provisions such as the Town Planning regulation.
“Check on hygiene and safety in compliance with the provisions of the Health Regulations and Safety Regulations. The council has powers to close all business premises for operating without a licence.”
In an interview on Tuesday, one of the business operators, Harold Chidzamika, argued that although they renew their business licences, the council is failing to provide quality services in the city.
“They just collect money on business licence renewal, but they don’t give us the services we need. Look at the state of our city roads, you sometimes wonder where that business licence money goes,” he said.
