MBABANE – “Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo says, as part of efforts to improve the ease of doing business in Eswatini, Government aims to eventually issue trading licenses in one day. He has been speaking during the official closing of a 5-day business development workshop at Mangcongco Inkhundla,” according to an official statement from Government media.
Among other topics, the workshop addressed how to start a business, how to register a business, how to prepare a business plan and cash flow statement as well as business marketing.
Speaking during the workshop, Minister Khumalo revealed that, “In a bid to further eliminate bottlenecks in starting and operating a business in the country, the Ministry proposes that if an applicant has all the prerequisite documents available, they should be issued a trading license in 1 day. This responds directly to the World Bank Ease of Doing Business reform in obtaining a business license. Our Trading Licences Amendment of 2020 is now in the House of Senate and at stakeholder level, which proposes what has been alluded.”
Minister Khumalo added that, “In the liquor business, the Liquor Licences Act No. 30 of 1964, the issuance of such licenses is only limited to liquor establishments under urban areas and Private Property or Farms, that is, title deed land only, excluding Eswatini National Land (ENL). We have our Liquor Bill that proposes to address this discrepancy, which is currently being deliberated in the House of Assembly and is at stakeholder level.”
The Minister also announced that Government is currently working on rolling out business development to all Tinkhundla in the country, with the next stop being Madlangempisi, according to an official statement from Government media.
