C

CESSATION OF BUSINESS

 According to Section 127 of The Local Government Act 2011, where a person carrying on a classified trade intends to cease business or transfer his business, he shall within 15 days of the cessation or transfer give notice in writing thereof to the Chief Executive.

Any person intending to cease business may inform the Council in writing or fill in the appropriate form available at the Business Monitoring Section.  The following documents should also be produced:

(i)                  National Identity Card

(ii)                Copy of receipt of payment of trade fees for the current financial year.

The Council should also be informed in case of death of the trader (copy of Death Certificate to be produced).

Failure to inform the Council will result into

(i)                      fees for subsequent financial years will continue to be claimed.

(ii)                     Legal actions for recovery of civil debt.

D

PAYMENT OF FEES FOR SUBSEQUENT FINANCIAL YEARS (RENEWAL)

According to Section 122 of The Local Government Act 2011, trade fees in respect of any financial year shall be due on 1^st January of that year and shall be paid by the person

(a)    within 15 days of the start of the classified trade; and

(b)   thereafter in respect of any subsequent financial year in two equal instalments, the first one on or before 31 January and the second one on or before 31 July next ensuing.

A surcharge of 50% shall be leviable on any amount not paid within the period specified above.

The receipt of payment of trade fees for the previous financial year and the National Identity card should be produced at the Cashier’s office at time of payment.

E

GENERAL NOTES FOR THE CARRYING OUT OF A BUSINESS ACTIVITY

1.      The Local Authority, The Fire Services Department, The Ministry of Health, Police Department, Ministry of Environment etc will carry out ex post control at the trade premises to ensure compliance with their guidelines.

2.      According to the Local Govt Act 2003 as amended, any person who fails to pay the required prescribed trade fees shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs 50,000.

3.      Any person carrying on, practicing or exercising one or more of the classified trades shall pay the prescribed fees for each of these trades and he shall be registered accordingly at the Registrar of Business. 

4.      Before starting a business, the person / company concerned should ensure that the previous occupier of the premises has informed the Council of having ceased business.

In case the latter has not done so, a letter from the owner certifying that the previous occupier has vacated the premises (specifying the exact date) should be produced.

5.      Every trader shall deposit or cause to be deposited any refuse or any waste material resulting for the trade activity in a receptacle or dustbin.

6.      Fresh registration should be made in case change of person for same trade or for change in address of premises.  The Council shall also be informed accordingly in writing and the trader shall pay the relevant fees.

7.      The trade activities should not be carried out outside the authorised premises. Hawking activities is prohibited within a radius of 500 metres from any Municipal Market or Fair and on non-hawking zones.

8.      The trader should at all times comply with the relevant parts of the guidelines published by the Sanitary Authority, The Fire Services Department, The Police, The Ministry of Environment or any other Government Department or Authority.

9.      Where a person carrying out a classified trade dies, the heirs of the deceased person may continue to carry on the classified trade during the period for which the fee has been paid. The designated heir should thereafter register himself at the Registrar of Business and pay the prescribed trade fees at the council after submission of the usual documents.

10.  Every person carrying on a classified trade shall display in a conspicuous place at each of his business premises, the receipt acknowledging payment of the fees in respect of the current financial year. The receipt should be produced upon request from any authorized officer.

11.  Every hawker/distributor of such goods as may be authorised by the Local Authority shall at all times carry his receipt acknowledging payment of the fees in respect of the current fiscal year.

12.  The economic activity should not be carried in such a way so as to be a danger to public health, public order or public safety.

13.  The Chief Executive or any officer authorised by him in writing may make a provisional closing down order in respect of any premises where he is satisfied that any of the conditions mentioned above has not been complied with.

F

OCCASIONAL ACTIVITIES

According to Section 122 of The Local Government Act 2011, no person shall carry out an occasional activity listed under Part B of the Twelfth Schedule

(a)    unless he has obtained the authorisation of the Permits and Business Monitoring Committee, which shall act under the authority of the Chief Executive; and

(b)   on payment of the prescribed fees.

A person wishing to carry out an occasional activity shall submit an application in the prescribed form and produce all the relevant documents mentioned therein at least two weeks before the event is scheduled.

Upon approval of the application by the Permits and Business Monitoring Committee and submission of the relevant documents and clearances, the person shall effect payment of the relevant fees before conducting the trade for the period it has been approved, as prescribed under The Municipal Council of Port Louis (Fees for Classified Trades) Regulations 2006 – Government Notice 164 of 2006.

G

DISPLAY OF ADVERTISEMENTS

Any person wishing to display an advertisement other than on an advertising structure within the City Council of Port Louis shall submit an application in the prescribed form.

The following documents should be produced along with the application form:

(i)                  National Identity Card of the applicant.

(ii)                Certificate of Incorporation of Company.

(iii)               Written authorisation from the owner of the premises where the advertisement is being displayed.

Fees for the display of advertisements are prescribed under The Municipal Council of Port Louis (Fees for Classified Trades) Regulations 2006 – Government Notice 164 of 2006.

H

AFFIXING OF POSTERS

According to Section 4(1) of the Environment Protection (Affixing of Posters) Regulations 2008, no person shall affix or cause to be affixed any poster in a public place or which is visible from a public place other than a designated site.

A designated site means a site designated or approved by a local authority or where applicable by the Road Development Authority for affixing of posters.

According to Section 9 of the above regulations, any person who otherwise contravenes these regulations shall commit an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs 50,000.

Any person intending to affix posters on designated sites within the Municipal Council area of Port Louis shall submit an application in the necessary forms together with the following documents:

(i)                  National Identity cards (copy) of person commissioning the poster, the distributor and the printer

(ii)                Certificate of Incorporation of Companies

(iii)               Specimen or copy of the poster.

The poster shall contain the real description of the name of the printer and the distributor or the person who has commissioned the poster.

The person shall pay the relevant fees as prescribed under The Municipal Council of Port Louis (Fees for Classified Trades) Regulations 2006 – Government Notice 164 of 2006.

I

BUS TOLL FEES

According to The Municipal Council of Port Louis (Traffic Centre) Regulations 2011 – Government Notice 154 of 2011, every bus owner holding a Public Service Vehicle (Bus) Licence from the National Transport Authority who uses a traffic centre, shall pay to the Council a monthly fee per bus as follows and the fee shall be payable in advance and not later than the last working day of the preceding month:

The Traffic Centres within the City Council area of Port Louis are:

1.      Victoria Traffic Centre

2.      Immigration Traffic Centre

3.      La Cure Traffic Centre

4.      Cité Vallijee Traffic Centre

5.      Plaine Verte Traffic Centre

6.      Plaine Lauzun Traffic Centre

Any bus owner who fails to pay the fee within the prescribed delay, shall be liable to pay the monthly fee together with a surcharge of 50% of the fee for each unpaid month to the Council.

The receipt, which shall be issued in respect of every monthly payment, should be affixed in a conspicuous place on the windscreen of the bus.

Any bus owner who

i.                     stops using a traffic centre;

ii.                   changes a bus or

iii.                  transfers his Public Service Vehicle (Bus) Licence

shall inform the Chief Executive of the Council in writing thereof within 15 days of the cessation, change or transfer.

Any driver or bus owner who fails to affix the receipt of payment for the current month shall be denied access to the traffic centre.

Any person who contravenes The Municipal Council of Port Louis (Traffic Centre) Regulations 2011 shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs 10,000.