BT City Council urges business communities to account renewal of licenses

All businesses which are operating without premises licenses in Blantyre city council will be demanded to close effective 1st April 2024,warn the City officials.

Acting Director of Commerce for the city,Benson Chirwa confirmed this through the media briefing the council had organized on Thursday in the city.

Chirwa sounded the alarm that the current Licenses will expire on 31 March 2024.

“We urge all the business communities to contact the council now for the inspection of their premises in readiness for issuance for 2024/2025 financial year” Charged Chirwa.

He further highlighted that the main aim of the exercise is to promote sanity within the city premises,Check on compliance with various legal provisions as such the Town Planning regulations may work on a positive note among others.

“Our main aim is to check on illegal businesses and trading activities and have good number of licensed businesses in the city of Blantyre as we also check on the compliance and town planning regulations” He highlighted.

Next issuance of the licenses will catter for 2024 to 2025 and business owners are advised to pay for the licenses only through the City’s offices and get system generation receipts as the current compliance rate is at 85 percent only.