The Blantyre City Council (BCC) has warned that it will close all business premises that will not have their Business Premises License renewed by 1 April this year.
The Council’s acting Director of Commerce, Benson Chirwa, said licences for the current government year will expire on the 31 March, 2024.
“Effective 1st April 2024, all businesses operating without a licence will be closed,” Chirwa told journalists at Blantyre Civic Centre Offices.
He said business premises licensing is done to, among others, help with logistics for checking illegal trade activities, sanitation and safety in compliance with health regulations.
BCC says business premises licence renewal compliance rate stands at 85 percent.
Fees for registering small businesses in Blantyre City range from K50,000 to K250,000 for small businesses and for bigger businesses, the fees hovers between K250,000 and K750,000.
By Kondwani Chinele
