2013-09-26

Created page with "==Introduction== The Trade Act of Botswana provided for the establishment of the Trade Licensing Committees, Control Authorities and the Regional Appeals Boards. The issuance..."

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==Introduction==

The Trade Act of Botswana provided for the establishment of the Trade Licensing Committees, Control Authorities and the Regional Appeals Boards. The issuance of licences has been decentralised to the Local Authorities.

Before a business can begin operating, owners must first obtain a license to trade. Following are procedures on how to apply for a trade license.

==Eligibility==

Trade Act has reserved the following businesses for citizens of Botswana:

*Auctioneer’s

*Car wash

*Cleaning Services

*Curio Shop

*Fresh Produce

*Funeral Parlour

*General Clothing

*General dealer’s

*Hairdresser’s

*Hire Services

*Laundromat

*Petrol Filling Station

*Takeaway

==Instructions==

'''Trade Licensing Committies'''

They are responsible for issuance of non – liquor trade licences. These Committees meet on weekly basis to consider non – liquor trade licences.

'''Regional Appeals Boards'''

Eight (8) Regional Appeals’ Boards centres have been established throughout the countries which are as follows; Gaborone, Francistown, Selibe Phikwe, Palapye, Maun, Tsabong, Ghanzi and Lobatse.

==Required Information==

A list which displays the kind of information which is required to complete the procedure.

e.g.

1. Date of Birth.

2. City or County of Birth.

==Procedure==

#Obtain all necessary documents.

#Fill and submit the application form along with all other requirements.

#Pay the license fee.

'''Filing an Appeal'''

*Applicants who are aggrieved by the decision of either the Licensing Committees or Liquor Control Authorities or both may appeal in writing to the Regional Boards within 30 days of the notification of the decision.

*Applicants who are aggrieved by the decision of the Regional Appeals Board may appeal in writing to the Minister of Trade and Industry within 30 days of the notification of the decision.

==Required Documents==

*Completed [http://www.mti.gov.bw/webfm_send/189 Application Form] and application fee of P100.

*Copy of Certificate of Incorporation for a company or registration certificate in case of individuals or partnership applicant.

*Certified copies of Form 2, Form 4, Form 8, Form13, Form 14, and Form 15 and copies of share certificates of the company directors and shareholders.

*Proof of availability of business premises (written undertaking lease in lieu of agreement or tittle deed).

*Certified copies of valid Omang for citizens, and passport for non-citizen Directors and Shareholders

*Certified copies of valid work and residence permits for non citizen managers.

*A covering letter explaining how the business would operate and provide itemized list of goods or services.

*Satisfactory Physical Planner’s report for zoning of the plot.

*Satisfactorily Environmental Health report for the business premises from District Council Health Inspectors

*Drug and Regulatory Inspection report in case of Pharmaceutical Products and Pharmacy licence (Ministry of Health Quarters)

*Clearance letter from [http://www.bobstandards.bw/ Bureau of Standards (BOBS)] in case of filing station or of a Liquid Petroleum Gas seller.

==Fees==

'''Type of licence: Fee'''

*Auctioneer (15 days): 150.00

*Auctioneer (Annual) : 1,200.00

*Bookshop: 750.00

*Boutique: 750.00

*Car wash: 150.00

*Cleaning services: 200.00

*Curio shop: 500.00

*Department store: 2,000.00

*Distributor: 1,500.00

*Dry Cleaning: 1,500.00

*Fresh Produce: 250.00

*Furniture shop: 1,500.00

*General Clothing: 750.00

*General Dealer: 250.00

*Hair dresser: 500.00

*Hardware: 1,000.00

*Hire services: 500.00

*Laundromat: 100.00

*Miscellaneous Trade: 1,000.00

*Petrol Filling station: 500.00

*Restaurant: 1,000.00

*Supermarket/chain store: 1,500.00

*Takeaway: 150.00

*Wholesale: 1,500.00

*Motor Dealer: 1,500.00

*Workshop: 1,500.00

*Funeral Parlor: 1,500.00

'''Annual License Fee: 25% of the licensee's licence fee.

==Validity==

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.

e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

==Documents to Use==

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.

==Sample Documents==

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.

==Processing Time==

Please explain the processing your application.

==Office Locations & Contacts==

'''The Permanent Secretary'''

Private Bag 004, Gaborone, Botswana

Tel: +267 3601 200

Fax: +267 397 1539

Email: mtihq@gov.bw

Office Hours:

Monday to Friday

*07:30am -12:45pm

*01:45pm -04:30pm

[http://www.mti.gov.bw/home Ministry of Trade and Industry Website]

==Video==

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.

Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.

Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.

Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,

sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube

width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.

e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M".

==Information which might help==

'''Micro and Small Businesses exempt from licensing requirements'''

A task force was set to see how Micro and Small businesses could be promoted so that they effectively contribute to the economy and one of the recommendations were that they be exempted from the complex requirements of obtaining a trading license and be allowed to operate from home. These businesses are the following:

#Sewing and knitting (exclusive of Fabric dying)

#Small scale packaging (exclusing hazardous/toxic products)

#Traditional crafts (exclusive of hazardous chemicals)

#Production of traditional leather products excluding the use of modern leather processing methods

#Small & Micro industrial food processing e.g baking of bread and confectionary, manufacturing of peanut butter, production of traditional sour milk, meat processing (biltong making) and jam making

#Signage, including electric signage (exclusive of harmful or harzadous chemicals)

#Carpentry

#Milling related activities at small scale

#Business consultancy (application for: work and residence permits, license, company formation, tax returns, preparations of business plans etc)

#Secretarial services (photocopying, faxing, laminating, typing, preparation of programmes for funerals, weedings, meetings and binding)

#Laundromat and dry clean deport

#Agents operatus (tupperware, perfumes e.t.c)

#Hairdressing- (plaiting and cutting only)

#Hiring services; tents, Tables and Chairs, pots, coockery/cutlery, jumping castles, table cloths e.t.c

#Outsourced cleaning services

#Food catering services

#Internet services

#Professional services, e.g. architectural drawings, event management e.t.c

*To view and download the Guidelines:

:http://www.mti.gov.bw/webfm_send/130

==Other uses of the Document/Certificate==

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.

e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

==External Links==

*Trade Licenses:

:http://www.gov.bw/en/Ministries--Authorities/Local-Authorities/Southern-District-Council/Tools-and-Services/Services/License-Application/

*Ministry of Trade and Industry:

:http://www.mti.gov.bw/content/trade-license

==Others==

More information which might help people.

[[Category:Botswana]]

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