High-risk businesses like restaurants and liquor shops still need necessary approvals although they do not need a business license

Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar confirms that while people do not need to get a business license now and just need to register their business at the Registrar of Companies to start a business, high-risk businesses like restaurants and liquor shops will still need to get necessary approvals from relevant authorities like the National Fire Authority and the Central Board of Health.

Kumar says someone who is opening a shoe shop will not need a clearance from the NFA if the building already has a completion certificate which simply means the NFA would have given the necessary approvals when the building was completed.

However, Kumar says if the same person wants to open a restaurant at the same location, then he or she will need to get necessary approvals from the NFA as it is a high-risk business as they will be using stoves and gas tanks.

Kumar adds regulatory agencies like the NFA, Town and Country Planning, Municipal Councils and the Occupational Health and Safety Unit still need to do their checks on a regular basis.

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum announced that after registering with the Companies Office, low-risk businesses, for example, a shoe store can open their doors and start selling to customers immediately, while other higher-risk businesses, which involve people’s health, such as restaurants, will need to tick a few more regulatory boxes before starting operations. He highlighted that behind the scenes, the Registrar of Companies, the National Fire Authority, OHS, the Central Board of Health and others will be coordinating that national effort to enforce compliance.